GKN Aerospace vows town hall, avoids reimbursement pledge after chemical crisis

A senior GKN Aerospace executive appeared before Garden Grove City Council on Wednesday for the first time since a May chemical tank emergency forced 50,000 North Orange County residents to evacuate, promising transparency and a community town hall while refusing to commit to reimbursing displaced residents.

The June 10 council appearance marked the first public accountability session by a GKN representative since the May 21 spill of methyl methacrylate triggered mandatory evacuations across Garden Grove, Buena Park, Cypress, Westminster and Stanton — one of the largest emergency evacuations in Orange County's recent history.

Steve Carlin, senior vice president of GKN Aerospace, addressed council members as federal agents simultaneously executed a judicially-signed search warrant at the company's Western Avenue facility, seizing hazardous material samples and records related to storage, safety, inspections and risk management, according to Voice of OC.

Carlin acknowledged the company's fractured relationship with the community. "We are very much aware that we have broken the trust in the last couple of weeks, and we have a long way to go to earn back that trust. But you have my pledge that this company will do whatever it takes to earn back that trust, make you as proud of us to be part of Garden Grove as we are to be simply known as 'Garden Grove' around the world," he said.

When pressed on reimbursement for residents' emergency expenses, Carlin declined to provide a timeline. He did pledge full transparency with the council. "What I can promise to you is that we will be completely transparent. You, the city council, you, the folks of Garden Grove, will be very much aware of the results and any actions we may take based on that review," Carlin told council members, Voice of OC reported.

GKN has contributed $3 million to the OC Community Resilience Fund administered by Orange County United Way. Sue Parks, president and CEO of Orange County United Way, said the organization has received 4,500 assistance applications — 22 percent from Garden Grove residents — with more than 150 residents having received funds so far. The fund is expected to benefit approximately 6,000 residents.

Councilmember George Brietigam, whose district includes the GKN facility, called the contribution a start but inadequate. "Much more needs to be done by GKN. Obviously $3 million to a nonprofit — it was good to be able to get some of the money out there to help people who were struggling, and for that we're grateful. But that's such a minor amount," Brietigam said. He also demanded the company remove the storage tanks. "I don't want to see these tanks resume there. That's my backyard. I don't want to have 7,000-ton bombs in my backyard," he said.

Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein told Carlin directly that the council session was an insufficient substitute for broader community engagement. "They need to have the opportunity to look you in the eye and have that conversation with you — to be able to talk to you directly, and then you be able to share back with them. This is a step forward, but this isn't the solution. This isn't going to be good enough long term," she said. Councilmember Yesenia Muñeton added: "The people of Garden Grove deserve more than just promises. They deserve transparency, they deserve answers and they deserve confidence that everything possible is being done to prevent an incident like this from happening again."

The council issued a June 5 letter to GKN CEO Peter Dilnot stating that "the community deserves a full accounting of how this incident happened and what actions must be taken to protect public health, safety and the surrounding community," according to Voice of OC. No date for the promised town hall has been announced.