Garden Grove Facility Community Updates

We are a global multi-technology leader in the aerospace industry. We serve over 90% of the world's aircraft and engine manufacturers, specializing in the development and delivery of cutting-edge aerostructures and engine systems.

At Garden Grove, GKN Aerospace manufactures advanced aerospace canopies, cabin windows, and flight deck windows for commercial and military aircraft as well as spacecraft. GKN manufactures the world-leading F-35 canopy and has produced more than 2 million cabin windows for the Boeing 737 and 787. Our high-clarity transparency windows also enabled the view from Artemis II space mission back to Earth. GKN Aerospace's facility has been part of the Garden Grove community for 60 years and today employs more than 500 people.

On Thursday afternoon, May 21, GKN Aerospace personnel noticed a storage tank containing methyl methacrylate (MMA), a chemical used in the manufacture of high-strength aerospace acrylic materials, was experiencing an increase in temperature. Action was taken immediately, and GKN began working closely with emergency response personnel.

As conditions evolved through Friday, May 22, the Orange County Fire Authority made the decision to issue mandatory evacuation orders for portions of the surrounding community to protect public safety while response operations continued. GKN brought in leading experts and worked around the clock with the Orange County Fire Authority, the U.S. EPA, and all relevant federal, state, and local agencies to address the issue.

GKN’s team of experts played a critical role in assessing the situation and confirming that the tank was not at risk. Evacuation orders were partially lifted on Monday, May 25, and lifted in full on Tuesday, May 26, by the relevant authorities, with the Orange County Fire Authority reporting that there was no risk to the public.

No. The incident was limited to a small area of the facility where MMA is stored for use in acrylic manufacturing. This corner of the facility is where the ongoing review is taking place. The rest of the plant’s operations – such as forming, lamination, machining, and assembly – were unaffected. These processes occur throughout the majority of the facility and involve using already-manufactured acrylic to form and finish transparencies.

Orange County Fire Authority confirmed there were no injuries to firefighters, employees, or civilians during the incident.

Methyl methacrylate, or MMA, is a chemical widely used in the manufacture of acrylic materials, coatings, composites, and specialty components, including aerospace applications. It is also commonly used for dental and medical purposes, including fillings and crowns, as well as in hip and knee replacements. Like many chemicals, MMA must be stored and managed within specific operating conditions. Facilities that handle MMA operate under extensive federal, state, and local safety and environmental regulations.

The area of the facility with the tanks is relatively small compared to the rest of the plant and is currently cordoned off. In this area, analyses of the incident remain ongoing, and we continue to coordinate closely with regulators and authorities, including OCHCA, U.S. EPA, and Cal OSHA, regarding this corner of the facility.

The overwhelming majority of our employees work in unaffected operations in other parts of the plant. Their work includes forming, lamination, machining, and assembly, and their roles do not require them to interact with the MMA tanks, which are part of the ongoing review. Their work continues to be conducted safely and in full communication and transparency with regulators and other authorities as the Garden Grove facility resumes its critical role in the aviation industry in the U.S. and around the world.

Any future operations involving tank storage will be conducted pursuant to a court-approved safety plan. These operations will use an entirely separate system from the incident tank – one that has been enhanced and upgraded, inspected, and certified as fit for service by industry-leading experts, and equipped with additional monitoring devices to support ongoing safe operations.

Tank #1 (the “incident” tank) will not be used again. The Orange County Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPA) and other regulatory agencies will continue to oversee activities related to Tank #1 to ensure all safety, legal, and environmental requirements are met.

GKN is targeting September 28, 2026, subject to an independently monitored, court-approved safety plan, to resume full manufacturing operations and we are working closely with relevant agencies and officials to do so. 

Analyses are underway to understand what happened, and why. At the time of the incident, GKN immediately engaged leading experts to assess the situation and support response efforts. Those experts, along with others, are continuing to review the incident.

No. Following the lifting of evacuation orders, city and county officials stated that residents could safely return home and that there were no health concerns or specific safety precautions for the community to take.

Dr. Darwin Cheng, Director of Environmental Health (OCHCA), previously confirmed to the Garden Grove City Council that there was no danger to the community during the MMA removal process. All liquid neutralized MMA material has been removed from Tanks #2 and #4 (the “non-incident” tanks).

GKN Aerospace has announced it will launch a claims program to provide up to $100 million for eligible residents and businesses seeking to resolve claims for damages incurred in connection with the May evacuation order. 

The details and administration of the program, which will reimburse eligible claimants for damages associated with the evacuation, including hotel stays, meals, transportation, loss of wages, and loss of use, are in development. Over the coming weeks, GKN will provide more details on the program, which is targeted to open in the first half of October for submissions. Payments for eligible claims are expected to begin following review and approval of submitted claims.

GKN will be engaging with local stakeholders to help ensure the program is accessible and efficient, including by making instructions available in multiple languages. GKN will host community events to provide information about the claims program and assist with the application process. In-person and telephone assistance will be available when the program opens for submissions.

In addition, in early June, GKN funded Orange County United Way’s OC Community Resilience Fund in the amount of $3 million to provide assistance to those affected by the evacuation and committed an additional $1 million to support broader community initiatives across Orange County. These funds followed our earlier $1 million funding to the American Red Cross to support residents directly impacted by evacuation orders when those orders were in effect.

For more information, updates, and resources, please continue to check this website and/or sign up to receive updates.

We have been working diligently to finalize the details of the claims program and to ensure that it will be accessible. As part of that work, we have retained an independent third-party administrator to receive and process claims and are continuing to work with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office on the criteria and process that will be used to evaluate and reimburse eligible claims. The program remains subject to court review and approval before it opens for submissions.

We expect to open the program for submissions in the first half of October.

Final eligibility and documentation requirements will be announced when the claims program opens for submissions. In the meantime, please keep receipts related to evacuation expenses, lost wages, and/or loss of use. Additional guidance on acceptable documentation will be provided when the program opens.

Yes. GKN expects to host events in connection with the opening of the claims program for submissions. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about the program at these events.

We aim to host an event the first week of October. Additional details, including the date(s) and location(s), will be announced once confirmed. Please continue to check this website and/or sign up to receive updates.

In addition to the upcoming claims program, in early June GKN funded Orange County United Way’s OC Community Resilience Fund in the amount of $3 million to provide assistance to those affected by the evacuation and committed an additional $1 million to support broader community initiatives across Orange County. These funds followed our earlier $1 million funding to the American Red Cross to support residents directly impacted by evacuation orders when those orders were in effect.

For more information, updates, and resources, please continue to check this website and/or sign up to receive updates.

Yes. The OC Community Resilience Fund and the claims program are unrelated.

The OC Community Resilience Fund was created to provide coordinated support for residents affected by the incident and intended to help those facing short-term recovery-related needs. It was funded by GKN Aerospace and administered by the United Way.

It is not linked to the claims program, which will provide up to $100 million for eligible residents and businesses seeking to resolve claims for damages incurred in connection with the May evacuation order. 

Multiple putative class action and individual proceedings making claims related to the May evacuation have been filed in Orange County Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. All complaints filed to date can be found here. The complaints include the case names and numbers, plaintiffs' counsel's names and contact information, the filing court(s) and the presiding judge(s), if available, and information about membership in the putative class. An explanation of the legal effect of participating in the claims program will be provided before any claims program is launched.

Additional information and resources for residents and local businesses affected by the incident are also available at the bottom of this page.

We encourage you to review the resources available through your city, as well as Orange County’s incident page.