GKN Aerospace faces over 30 lawsuits and FBI investigation after chemical tank incident forces evacuation of 50,000 in Orange County

More than 30 lawsuits have been filed against GKN Aerospace after one of the company's tanks containing a highly flammable chemical overheated and threatened a catastrophic explosion last month, forcing the evacuation of about 50,000 residents in California's Orange County.

Debbie Cohran, who lives about 500 feet (152 meters) from the aerospace facility in Garden Grove, wasn't told to evacuate until several hours after the leak started, according to her complaint. Her suit said she experienced nausea and headaches for several days afterward.

Pressure on the company increased Wednesday when FBI agents served a search warrant at the facility to collect documents and records related to the 'storage, use, or disposal' of methyl methacrylate, the chemical inside the affected tank.