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The aerospace firm at the heart of a chemical crisis that led to the evacuation of thousands of California residents over the Memorial Day holiday weekend is now facing yet another lawsuit.
This legal challenge accuses the UK-based GKN Aerospace of negligence, trespass, and nuisance. It claims the company neglected to uphold safety protocols, despite receiving prior regulatory warnings and having a history of environmental infractions.
The lawsuit is one of many filed in the aftermath of a malfunctioning storage tank that contained flammable methyl methacrylate. The tank overheated and was compromised, leading to evacuation orders across multiple cities in Orange County, California, during the holiday period.
Officials reported that a crack developed in the tank, which unexpectedly released pressure and helped prevent a catastrophic explosion, allowing most of the displaced residents to return home.
In response to the crisis, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County as the failing chemical tank threatened to cause a devastating explosion.
Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County as California continues to respond to the hazardous chemical incident in Garden Grove. (Ethan Swope/AP)
The plaintiffs’ “trespass” claim is particularly notable, arguing that the chemical vapors, odors and airborne contaminants migrating into their community constituted an invasion of their property.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensation and punitive damages for emotional distress, the temporary loss of property use and the long-term diminution of property value caused by chemical stigma.
During the emergency, authorities ordered some 50,000 people living in parts of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove — where the GKN facility has been located since 1966 — Stanton and Westminster to leave their homes.
DISNEYLAND REMAINS OPEN AS EVACUATION ZONE SHRINKS AROUND CHEMICAL TANK SCARE
Evacuees from an aerospace chemical plant tank leak moved to another shelter after the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center closed for the night in Garden Grove, Calif., on May 22, 2026. (Ethan Swope/AP)
President Donald Trump granted a federal emergency declaration on Monday in response to the incident.
The lawsuit claims that GKN “consciously disregarded the rights and safety of Plaintiffs and other nearby residents by failing to implement, fund, maintain, inspect, repair, and enforce adequate safety systems despite the known risks associated with MMA and the facility’s hazardous materials operations.”
The Garden Grove facility, which manufactures windows and canopies for commercial and military aircraft, as well as spacecraft, had a prior regulatory history concerning environmental and air quality compliance, the lawsuit states. Specifically, it points to a reported 2025 settlement involving air quality violations that resulted in a substantial civil penalty.
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Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., on May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
“Plaintiffs are informed and believe that this prior history placed Defendants on additional notice that their hazardous materials operations required strict compliance, careful monitoring, and conservative safety practices,” the complaint states.
Exposure to MMA can cause serious respiratory problems, neurological issues and irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
At least 44 lawsuits have been filed related to the incident, the Orange County Register reported.
Evacuees move to another shelter after an aerospace chemical plant tank leak forced the closure of the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center in Garden Grove, Calif., on May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Fox News Digital has reached out to GKN for comment.
In a statement issued earlier in the week, the company apologized for the emergency.
“I recognize how challenging this has been, particularly over the Memorial Day holiday,” said GKN Senior Vice President Steve Carlin, who oversees the Garden Grove site’s programs. “We are committed to understanding what occurred and identifying ways we can support those affected.”
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