JOANNE LUI with three of her cats evacuated from the West Garden Grove area at the Garden Grove Recreation Center, which was the evacuation center . (Tribune photo).

A claims program of up to $100 million was announced today (Monday) by GKN Aerospace to compensate people and businesses for losses related to the May 2026 hazmat incident in Garden Grove that led to the evacuation of 50,000 people.

The program is planned to be open for the submission of claims in fall of 2026. Such claims, according to GKN, would be the hotel stays, meals, transportation, lost wages and “loss of use” among the kinds of damages the program is designed to address.

Details are still being developed, the corporation says.

“From the beginning, the city council has called upon GKN to take accountability for the financial aspects of this incident,” said Stephanie Klopfenstein, mayor of Garden Grove. “We welcome this progress and will continue to address the broader effects on our community.”

GKN – and not the city – will administer the claims process. The latest information will be posted at gkngg.com.
When open, applications for claims can be made online or at the company for direct assistance.

Although the incident took place at the GKN facility on Western Avenue in West Garden Grove, the evacuation zone that followed included parts of Stanton and Westminster and may have influenced people or businesses in neighboring communities.

The incident was centered on a tank containing flammable chemicals which had begun to overheat with the possibility of a leak or explosion which could have released toxic vapor over a wide area.