Orange County approves $500,000 for people impacted by GKN chemical leak
The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $500,000 fund for residents and businesses impacted by the GKN Aerospace facility chemical leak.
Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who represents Garden Grove and the area near the facility, allocated the money from her discretionary funds.
"We had a near-disaster of an exploding chemical tank that could have injured or killed many people, with an evacuation of 50,000 people," she said. "Some residents and businesses lost thousands of dollars while they were displaced over the long Memorial Day weekend. This money will help."
The hazardous material incident started on May 22 after a tank containing methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable and toxic substance, failed to cool and leaked at GKN Aerospace's facility. The self-heating substance was at risk of a "catastrophic explosion" or leak, which would have affected neighboring residents.
The Orange County Fire Authority crews spent Memorial Day weekend trying everything they could to stop the BLEVE, or Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. By the time they "eliminated" the threat of a potential explosion, 50,000 residents had been forced to evacuate their homes.
GKN launched a series of community support initiatives intended to help residents affected by the leak, including a $3 million donation 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."
Nguyen said the $3 million fund ran out of money in two weeks.
"GKN needs to replenish the fund," she said. "In the meantime, those who were unable to receive funds from United Way can access the fund I have created, which will be distributed by the City of Garden Grove."
Following the chemical leak, the FBI served a search warrant at GKN's Garden Grove facility. A copy of the search warrant obtained by CBS News said officials were seeking to seize documents, records and devices related to methyl methacrylate and other hazardous substances.
