More than 50,000 residents of Orange County, California, who had to evacuate the area in May due to a hazmat incident, are eligible for compensation under a claims program capped at $100 million.

The evacuation orders were issued on May 21 due to a threat of explosion or leak from a chemical tank in a facility owned by GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems Inc., a British-based multinational corporation, in Orange County’s Garden Grove, roughly 26 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

The tank contained an extremely toxic chemical. The evacuation orders were in effect for five days.

The newly set up $100 million GKN claims program will allow all residents and businesses forced to evacuate during this incident “to be reimbursed for expenses including hotel stays, loss of use, and per diem compensation for meals, transportation, and loss of wages,” the Orange County District Attorney’s office said in an Aug. 24 statement.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer is currently in discussions with GKN regarding a civil disposition.

The District Attorney’s Office is negotiating with GKN for the reimbursement of expenses incurred by first responders and emergency services agencies that responded to tackle the hazmat situation. This is in addition to the $100 million claims program. Civil penalties are also being discussed.

The civil disposition will require GKN to adopt an enhanced comprehensive safety plan and comply with independent monitoring requirements.

“The community has an absolute expectation that businesses operating within their neighborhoods operate safely and lawfully, and I am pleased that GKN has been and continues to be responsive to any and all requests throughout this investigation,” Spitzer said in the statement.

“Through these settlement discussions, we are doing what is necessary to protect the community going forward while recognizing the emotional and financial suffering inflicted on families.”

Orange County has a population of more than 3.14 million residents as of July 1, 2025.

The Epoch Times reached out to GKN Aerospace for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

On June 4, GKN announced a $3 million contribution to a community resilience fund to assist people affected by the evacuation. This followed an earlier $1 million to the American Red Cross to support residents. GKN also committed an additional $1 million to support broader community initiatives in Orange County.

During a June meeting of the Garden Grove City Council, GKN Aerospace Senior Vice President Steve Carlin apologized for the safety incident.

“On behalf of GKN and the Garden Grove plant, I want to say I’m sorry this event ... occurred,” Carlin said.

“I understand and realize sitting here tonight how unsettling it is to the greater community, and it’s particularly unsettling to us at GKN because of the long history we’ve had with Garden Grove and how connected we are to the community.”

Last month, GKN said that Arcwood Environmental, its environmental response partner, had completed key response activities at the Garden Grove facility. Specifically, the methyl methacrylate chemical in two unaffected storage tanks was safely removed, transported, treated, and disposed of.

GKN Shutdown Impact

Following the incident at the Garden Grove facility, GKN halted operations in May, affecting several aircraft manufacturers, airlines, and repair shops. GKN is one of the largest suppliers of cockpit and passenger windows worldwide.

Boeing said it had communicated with operators on steps to manage window inventories ⁠after the incident. Boeing said in a statement it continues to work with its supplier and is “taking steps to mitigate any potential impacts.”

Maintenance provider Lufthansa Technik said the supply of aircraft windows for Boeing and Airbus planes had long been strained.

“Lead times ​have increased substantially, while procurement costs ​have risen markedly,” Lufthansa Technik said.

In its recent statement, the District Attorney’s Office highlighted that GKN performs a crucial role in manufacturing cockpits for military aircraft. Given the important work the company does, the attorney backed GKN’s Sept. 28 target for manufacturing resumption.

However, this is dependent upon the company gaining full compliance with the necessary safety standards and other obligations, the office clarified.

Reuters contributed to this report.