California Chemical Plant That Threatened to Explode Was Making F-35 Parts for America's Forever Wars

A chemical tank at a GKN Aerospace manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, south of Los Angeles, became compromised as temperature and pressure rose to dangerous levels. About 50,000 residents were forcibly evacuated while officials and emergency teams monitored the site, attempting to cool the tank or safely release pressure. The tank ultimately cracked, which alleviated the threat of a catastrophic, flaming explosion that could have engulfed nearby homes in burning chemical residue. The facility also manufactures acrylic transparency canopies for F-35 fighter jet cockpits. The United States has used the F-35 in conflicts including Iran and has provided dozens of jets to Israel for strikes on Gaza and Lebanon, with funding described as coming from U.S. State Department tax dollars.

"Some 50,000 residents of the area were forcibly evacuated after a chemical tank at the GKN Aerospace manufacturing facility became compromised, with its temperature and pressure rising to dangerous levels. For days, officials and emergency response teams monitored the site, attempting to either cool the tank or safely release the pressure, which apparently occurred when the tank of highly toxic methyl methacrylate (MMA) ultimately cracked, alleviating the threat of a catastrophic, flaming explosion that could have engulfed nearby homes in burning chemical residue."

"Frightened residents now returning home (and preparing to join class-action lawsuits) are naturally wondering what the hell happened, but at least they can rest assured that the chemical facility in their backyards was doing the most noble of work: Helping to provide murder machines to fuel the U.S. and Israel's endless wars in the Middle East!"

"The United States has both made extensive use of this jet in its war in Iran, and provided dozens of the jets to Israel for its on ongoing strikes on Gaza and Lebanon-primarily paid for, naturally, by funding from the U.S. State Department, aka tax dollars."

"That news is courtesy of an investigatory piece in The Intercept, which goes deep on how the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove is one of the few sites responsible for the manufacture of the acrylic bubble of ultra-strong material that encases the see-through F-35 fighter jet cockpit, referred to as a transparency canopy."

Read at Jezebel