Attorney urges California to regulate methyl methacrylate after Garden Grove leak

Los Angeles attorney Jeffrey Nadrich is pressing CalEPA to add methyl methacrylate to California’s accidental-release prevention rules after a Garden Grove tank leak forced evacuations in Orange County. The move could bring tighter safety planning and oversight for facilities that handle the chemical.

Why it matters: - Regulating methyl methacrylate under CalARP could force stronger prevention steps at facilities that handle the chemical. - Nadrich says added oversight and more frequent inspections could reduce the risk of another large evacuation. - The push comes after a leak in Garden Grove raised new questions about whether current chemical safety rules protect nearby neighborhoods.

What happened: - Jeffrey Nadrich, founder and managing attorney of Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, called on the California Environmental Protection Agency to regulate methyl methacrylate under the California Accidental Release Prevention Program. - In May 2026, a 34,000-gallon tank of methyl methacrylate began leaking at a GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove. - Tens of thousands of Orange County residents evacuated after the leak, according to the Los Angeles Times. - Nadrich said about 50,000 people live within a mile of the GKN facility. - Nadrich said residents were left scared and unsure whether they were being exposed to hazardous chemicals.

The details: - CalARP requires certain facilities that handle, manufacture, use or store regulated substances to prepare for and prevent accidental releases. - Those facilities must submit risk management plans. - CalEPA says those plans include emergency response programs, coordination with local emergency responders, and mechanical integrity and maintenance of physical plants. - Nadrich said regulating methyl methacrylate under CalARP could require additional safety protocols. - California banned methyl methacrylate from cosmetology schools and nail salons in 2015 because workers raised health concerns, according to CalMatters. - A South Coast Air Quality Management District investigation found GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove facility failed to keep required emissions records, operated new equipment without permits and used equipment that did not match permit descriptions, according to CalMatters. - GKN Aerospace paid more than $900,000 to resolve 14 alleged violations.

Between the lines: - The Garden Grove incident suggests the risk from methyl methacrylate is not limited to workers inside a facility. - The evacuation also puts pressure on California regulators to weigh community exposure when deciding which chemicals belong under CalARP. - The prior violations at the GKN Aerospace site could strengthen arguments for tighter oversight, although the leak itself is the central catalyst here.

What's next: - CalEPA could review whether methyl methacrylate should be added to CalARP coverage. - If regulators act, facilities handling the chemical may face stricter planning, inspection and compliance obligations. - The debate over chemical safety rules is likely to continue as communities near industrial sites watch for similar incidents.

The bottom line: - The Garden Grove leak has turned methyl methacrylate into a test case for whether California should expand chemical safety oversight before the next evacuation happens.