GKN Aerospace launches community initiatives to support Orange County evacuees after chemical crisis
GKN Aerospace officials have announced a series of community support initiatives intended to help the thousands of Orange County residents who were forced to evacuate their homes when the Garden Grove-based facility became the center of a chemical crisis in late May.
In a news release shared on Wednesday, approximately two weeks after the incident began at the aerospace facility on Western Avenue, officials said that they had funded $3 million to Orange County United Way's OC Community Resilience Fund "to provide assistance to those affected by the recent evacuation of areas surrounding GKN's Garden Grove facility."
"The company is also committing an additional $1 million to support broader community initiatives across Orange County," the release said. "GKN earlier funded $1 million to the American Red Cross to support residents directly impacted by evacuation orders when those orders were in effect."
People affected by the six-day ordeal were urged to contact 211 Orange County, where they would be connected with local health and human services resources to learn more about available aid.
"By working with a trusted local organization with the infrastructure to mobilize resources quickly, we hope to help expedite assistance to those most in need," said GKN Senior Vice President Steve Carlin, in a statement. "We will continue to engage with community leaders, work with the authorities, and help the community move forward."
GKN's Community Update website also contains a list of frequently asked questions regarding the incident, the current status and information for people and businesses seeking assistance from the community resilience funds.
The announcement comes as cleanup continues following the hazardous material incident that began on Thursday, May 22, when Orange County Fire Authority crews were dispatched for reports of a chemical leak at GKN. Upon arrival, they found that a tank containing methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable and toxic substance, had a failed cooling system. The self-heating substance was at risk of a "catastrophic explosion" or leak, which would have affected thousands of people in the surrounding areas.
After days of working to mitigate the incident, firefighters said that the risk of a BLEVE, or "Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion" event, was no longer on the table after the tank cracked and released pressure from inside.
Once residents were allowed to return home, 50,000 of which were placed under mandatory evacuation orders for at least five days, several lawsuits were filed against GKN Aerospace and hundreds of community members flooded a special city hall meeting to demand accountability from the company.
While the incident was still developing, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also said that he had launched a probe into the GKN, asking anyone working at the company to be a whistleblower and report any wrongdoings.
