Orange County has issued a formal demand notice to GKN Aerospace seeking $4 million in reimbursement for costs related to the May 21 hazardous chemical leak in Garden Grove.
Specifically, the county is requesting $4,071,305. Included in the county’s demand is $500,000 from the First District to assist evacuees. The total does not include the Orange County Fire Authority’s costs, which amount to an additional $2.8 million.
Garden Grove residents call for GKN Aerospace shutdown after chemical scare
“The threatened release of MMA, a known hazardous substance stored at GKN’s manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, caused the County to incur these necessary response costs, which were taken to halt the immediate risk to public health and welfare, including, but not limited to, the temporary evacuation of threatened individuals,” the letter stated in part.
The incident happened in May when a 34,000‑gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate, a volatile, flammable chemical used to make acrylic plastics, overheated and began venting vapors. Cooling efforts failed, prompting the evacuation of roughly 50,000 residents…