Bill targeting reactive-chemical facilities advances after testimony about an Orange County evacuation

Senator Umberg presented SB 883 to the Emergency Management Committee on June 30, saying the bill would increase transparency and emergency-planning requirements for facilities that store reactive chemicals such as methyl methacrylate (MMA).

"One of the things that happened is that 50,000 individuals were basically evacuated," Senator Umberg said, framing the measure as a response to a near-catastrophe at a Garden Grove facility. Support witnesses described the disruption: Dr. Mai Nguyen Do of the Harbor Institute for Immigrants and Economic Justice said the facility's overheating MMA tank forced large-scale evacuations and business losses and raised community questions about co-location of industrial facilities next to homes and schools.

Asha Sharma, deputy director of Sierra Club California, urged tighter guardrails including backup cooling systems, larger setbacks from residential areas and schools, public hearings, and adherence to environmental review. "SB 883 is a common-sense bill in response to the GKN aerospace manufacturing incident," Sharma said.

Industry representatives, including Tim Shestek with the American Chemistry Council and Dawn Koepke representing manufacturing and chemical-industry trade groups, said they share the goal of preventing incidents but raised concerns about the bill’s current definitions and possible loss of flexibility under CalARP. Shestek said the bill has been in print only a few days and his group is seeking feedback; Koepke urged caution until cause-of-incident investigations are complete.

Committee members noted it was late in the day to add amendments and pointed to upcoming hearings in the Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, where proponents and opponents will have an opportunity to negotiate technical language. The committee moved SB 883 out to that committee for further consideration.