What we know about GKN Aerospace, the firm at center of O.C. chemical leak
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The chemical leak that triggered evacuations across a swath of Orange County on Friday is located at GKN Aerospace, a manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom.The company manufactures landing gears, jet engines and other materials for commercial and military aircraft.GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove facility, which sits on 15.5 acres on Western Avenue, designs, analyzes, tests and certifies military canopies, cockpit windows and passenger widows, according to its website.The company has been at the site since 2004, according to city documents.“GKN Aerospace manufactures the world-leading F-35 canopy from its Garden Grove facility, as well as transparencies for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 737, the Airbus A350, HondaJet and Bombardier C-Series,” the company’s website states.A spokesperson for GKN Aerospace told The Times on Friday that they are responding to the situation and working with fire crews and specialized hazardous materials teams.California An “unprecedented” situation was taking hold in Orange County on Friday, as a chemical tank was at risk of spewing a highly toxic chemical that can cause severe respiratory distress and hospitalization, officials said.“There are no reports of injuries at this time, and our priority remains the safety of our employees, responders, and the surrounding community,” the spokesperson said.
“The situation at our Garden Grove site remains ongoing, and we are fully focused on working with emergency services and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of our employees and the local community.”There are three large tanks with a highly toxic chemical called methyl methacrylate, or MMA, used to make plastic, at the site in the 12000 block of Western Avenue in Garden Grove.One tank that officials have said is “in crisis” has about 7,000 gallons of the chemical left in it.It started experiencing a rise in temper...