A claims program will offer $100 million to Garden Grove and Orange County residents and business owners who were affected by a toxic chemical tank emergency in May, the company linked to the chemical crisis announced Tuesday.
GKN Aerospace said residents and businesses that were impacted between May 21 and May 26 can check their eligibility and submit claims on its website. However, as of Tuesday evening, the site was not available.
About 13,000 to 17,000 households were evacuated during a five-day period beginning May 21 due to the threat of an explosion and toxic plume. They included properties within a potential blast radius map released to the public that showed which areas would be affected by an explosion and resulting toxic chemical plume.
The claims program, according to the aerospace company, may be available to those who faced mandatory evacuation orders from the city of Garden Grove and the Orange County Fire Authority “as a result of a chemical incident at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, Inc. (“GKN”) manufacturing facility.”
According to GKN Aerospace, those who lived within the evacuation zone during the evacuation period or “immediately prior to” the evacuation are eligible to file a claim.
Businesses that were operating in the evacuation area during the same period are also eligible, the company said.
Applicants must submit proof of residency.
The claims program covers costs for lodging, meals, transportation, lost wages and business interruption. But there may be limits, including a $300-per-night cap for lodging reimbursement for up to five nights per household, the company said.
The claims program opened two weeks after the company reached $125 million settlement agreement with the Orange County government. The civil case agreement included the newly launched claims program as well as more than $8.4 million for emergency response and abatement costs.
The agreement also requires a safety and monitoring plan with an outside expert provided oversight of GKN operations for at least the next seven years. None of the requirements will go into effect until the agreement is approved by a judge.
