SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Orange County judge today formally approved Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s $125 million agreement with defendants GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, Inc. and GKN Aerospace, Inc. in connection with the May 2026 hazmat incident which forced the evacuation of more than 50,000 Orange County residents.
In addition to an evacuee claims program of up to $100 million and $15 million in civil penalties, the approved agreement mandates at least seven years of District Attorney and Court oversight of GKN’s Garden Grove operations to ensure the defense contractor adheres to the newly developed safety plan as well as all applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
The agreement also marks an important milestone in the District Attorney’s Office’s efforts to recoup millions of dollars in taxpayer funds spent responding to the Memorial Day weekend hazmat incident by the County of Orange, the Orange County Fire Authority, and the cities of Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Westminster, and Anaheim as well as the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. It includes full repayment of $500,000 in discretionary funds that Orange County First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen expended to aid those affected by this emergency.
The Court-approved agreement between the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and defendants GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, Inc. and GKN Aerospace, Inc. includes:
– A claims program of up to $100 million for the more than 50,000 Orange County residents who were forced to evacuate the area surrounding GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, Inc. as a chemical tank containing an extremely hazardous chemical threatened to explode. The GKN claims program, which will be administered by an independent third party not affiliated with GKN, will allow residents and businesses forced to evacuate during the May 2026 incident to be reimbursed for expenses including hotel stays, loss of use, and per diem compensation for meals, transportation, and loss of wages.
– $8,471,385.50 in reimbursement for emergency response and abatement costs.
– Seven-year injunction monitoring which includes a robust safety and monitoring plan, requiring an outside expert monitor to maintain oversight over GKN operations for at least the next seven years to ensure all applicable laws and regulations are followed. The $1.4 million in monitoring costs will be paid by the defendants.
– $15 million in civil penalties which under Prop. 64 are mandated to be used by OCDA for the enforcement of consumer protection laws.
For information about GKN’s claims program, please visit GKN’s website Garden Grove Community Updates | GKN Aerospace
Prior to reaching this agreement, District Attorney Spitzer and his environmental team – including prosecutors, investigators, and outside chemical safety experts – spent months investigating the May 2026 hazmat incident, including conducting onsite inspections and document review.
From the inception of the investigation, GKN and its counsel have fully cooperated with the District Attorney’s investigation.
“I made it clear from the very beginning of this emergency that I would do everything in my power to make everyone impacted – the residents, the business owners, and the first responders – whole,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “In less than six months, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is putting up to $100 million back in the pockets of hardworking Orange County residents who were forced out of their homes and businesses during this hazmat incident while also providing the invaluable peace of mind that comes with the safeguards to help ensure GKN operates in adherence with all applicable laws and regulatory requirements when it resumes operations and for many years to come. Today’s judgement is not a moment in time; it is yet another example of the standard that we at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office have set in representing the people of Orange County and ensuring a safe community for all.”