A representative from the company at the center of last month’s chemical crisis in Garden Grove will attend a special city council meeting this week, the city announced on Monday.
GKN Aerospace confirmed its attendance via a representative for Tuesday’s special city council meeting. With the exception of online statements, this marks the first time GKN Aerospace will attend a community meeting since the emergency began weeks ago.
About 50,000 residents and business owners in Orange County were forced out of their homes and shops in May after a damaged chemical storage tank was discovered at the aerospace company’s facility. The compromised tank contained thousands of pounds of methyl methacrylate (MMA), which at some point created concerns of a possible explosion.
Ultimately, a crack in the tank allowed pressure to release, eliminating the threat of an explosion at the site and allowing about two-thirds of evacuees to return to their homes. The rest of the evacuees were cleared to return to their neighborhoods about a day later.
In response to the emergency, GKN Aerospace pledged $4 million in community initiatives to help individuals and business owners who were impacted by the days-long evacuation.
“By working with a trusted local organization with the infrastructure to mobilize resources quickly, we hope to help expedite assistance to those most in need,” GKN senior vice president Steve Carlin said in a statement at the time. “We will continue to engage with community leaders, work with the authorities, and help the community move forward.”
It’s unclear who from the company will attend the Garden Grove City Council meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Garden Grove Community Meeting Center, which is located at 11300 Stanford Ave.