Orange County DA Reaches $125 Million Settlement With GKN Aerospace After Garden Grove Hazmat Crisis In May

CBS LA

October 13, 2026

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has reached a $125 million settlement with GKN Aerospace after the company's Garden Grove facility was at the center of a chemical crisis that forced nearly 50,000 to evacuate their homes in May.

According to a news release from the DA's Office, the settlement was submitted to an Orange County Superior Court judge for approval or modification and includes the previously agreed-upon $100 million claims program for evacuees, $15 million in civil penalties and $8.47 million to reimburse emergency response and abatement costs, a "robust safety plan" and multi-year monitoring program.

The settlement comes nearly half a year after a chemical tank containing methyl methacrylate became compromised and was at risk of a "catastrophic explosion," Orange County Fire Authority officials said at the time. The emergency led to evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents in Garden Grove and five other surrounding communities, lasting for nearly a week before residents were able to return home.

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