By Ricardo Roura
The company GKN Aerospace, owner of the chemical tank that caused the crisis in Garden Grove and caused the evacuation of 50,000 people over the weekend, recently paid a fine of more than $900,000 for an air quality violation.
GKN Aerospace works with highly toxic chemicalssuch as methyl methacrylate, which almost caused a tank to explode due to the increase in temperature in its interior.
The materials are used in the manufacture of cabins, windows and other aircraft parts, which must resist extreme temperatures, Therefore, GKN Aerospace is subject to strict regulation by local, state and federal agencies.. Therefore, inspections are common.
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The violations that were resolved last year are a consequence from an inspection that took place in 2020.
GKN Aerospace had an agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), a state agency, in which it was established in November 2020 that the company violated environmental regulations.
The inspection determined that the chemicals used exceeded the limits allowed in the permits and that GKN Aerospace allowed other chemical releases that exceeded legal limits.
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GKN Aerospace She was also penalized for not keeping complete records. and for failing to obtain necessary permits for certain equipment and procedures.
According to the agreement, GKN Aerospace did not admit any irregularitiesbut she also did not challenge the violations for which she was fined.
In early 2025, the company installed in Orange County agreed to pay $909,935.95 dollars to AQMD for the violations.
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According to most recent inspections, the company specialized in aeronautical products complies with other regulations.
GKN Aerospace must inform about the use and transportation of hazardous materialsboth to the state toxic substances agency and federal authorities, so law enforcement agencies knew the types of chemicals stored in Garden Grove.
It is not clear if any of the violations found in 2020 had any relationship with methyl methacrylateimplicated in this weekend’s emergency, since the chemical is not mentioned in court documents.
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Deepest from AQMD and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been at the Garden Grove facility in recent days to take air quality samples. and verify that no dangerous substances are released while controlling the situation with the tank.
Local authorities assured that a thorough inspection of all activities at GKN Aerospace will be carried out before allowing production to resume.
Keep reading:
· Newsom asks Trump to declare a federal state of emergency in Orange County
· Food, ventilation, pets: What chemical evacuees should check before returning home
· What is the chemical substance that causes the emergency in Orange County?
