Orange County officials are seeking more than $4 million in reimbursement from GKN Aerospace following a chemical leak at the company’s Garden Grove facility that triggered extensive evacuations in six nearby cities on May 21. The county outlined the costs in a formal demand letter, detailing expenses associated with emergency response and public safety efforts related to the incident.

County attorneys described the event as a "catastrophic failure" of GKN’s chemical storage tank cooling system. According to reports, a pressurized tank containing methyl methacrylate began to fail when the cooling system could no longer regulate its temperature. This failure led to a crack in the tank, raising concerns among fire officials about the risk of a leak or explosion as pressure inside the tank increased.

The letter to GKN itemized costs incurred by several county departments, including $2.7 million by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, more than $233,000 by the county executive office, and $195,000 by the Health Care Agency. Additionally, the county allocated $500,000 from discretionary funds to assist residents affected by the emergency. The demand for reimbursement does not include an estimated $2.8 million in expenses reported by the Orange County Fire Authority.

County supervisors have called for immediate financial accountability from GKN Aerospace, emphasizing that taxpayers should not bear the costs associated with the incident. They also urged the company to preserve all relevant records as possible future legal actions are considered.

GKN officials stated they are cooperating fully with ongoing investigations and are evaluating appropriate responses to the situation. The chemical leak remains under federal scrutiny, with inquiries including a probe by the FBI. Over the past decade, GKN Aerospace has faced multiple regulatory violations and fines exceeding $900,000 from safety and air quality authorities related to its site operations.

Orange County officials maintain that GKN is solely responsible for the incident and its fallout, and they are pursuing reimbursement to cover the substantial costs imposed on local agencies and residents.