Feds raid GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove
Federal search underway at GKN Aerospace
Federal authorities are serving a search warrant at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, the scene of a recent chemical tank emergency that prompted widespread evacuations.
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. - Federal authorities executed a sweeping search warrant at the GKN Aerospace facility in Garden Grove on Wednesday morning.
Led by the FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, investigators are searching the multi-building complex to seize extensive records following a major hazardous materials crisis over Memorial Day weekend that forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes.
What we know:
According to official court documents issued in the Central District of California, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie S. Christensen signed the search warrant on June 4.
The warrant authorized federal officers to search the facility at 12122 Western Avenue, specifically targeting the "Main Building," "Bldg 2," "the Grey Building," surrounding parking areas, driveways, and chemical storage tanks.
SkyFOX video from the scene showed several fire trucks and law enforcement vehicles stationed outside, with a group of people, presumably employees, gathered in the parking lot.
Investigators are seeking evidence, contraband, fruits, or instrumentalities of violations concerning Title 42, United States Code, Section 7412(r), which mandates a "general duty to prevent accidental release of extremely hazardous substance into the ambient air." The primary focus centers heavily on "methyl methacrylate and/or any hazardous substance."
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- GKN Aerospace chemical removal delayed again; Garden Grove council demands answers
- Chemical cleanup at Garden Grove aerospace plant delayed
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Authorized items for seizure include chemical samples, employee training logs, internal safety complaints, company communications, and documents concerning storage tanks, cooling equipment, and temperature regulation devices.
Chemical cleanup at Garden Grove plant delayed
The planned removal of a toxic chemical from storage tanks at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, where mass evacuations were ordered last week due to overheating in one of the tanks, was officially postponed Friday "due to unavailable resources."
The search team has been granted permission to conduct digital device reviews either on-site or off-site at a law enforcement laboratory within one year.
What we don't know:
The underlying affidavit detailing the explicit probable cause remains under seal, meaning the exact tips or internal evidence that triggered this criminal investigation are currently unknown.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- All evacuation orders lifted after Garden Grove chemical plant explosion threat defused
- Families remain in shelters, car while waiting for Garden Grove evacuation orders to expire
- Former GKN employee speaks out on Garden Grove chemical threat
Additionally, the court documents do not list any specific individuals currently facing potential criminal charges.
Timeline:
May 21: A valve failure in the plant's refrigeration system causes a 34,000-gallon storage tank containing 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to rapidly overheat, triggering a "thermal runaway" that causes the tank to bulge.
Memorial Day Weekend: Governor Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency, forcing a mandatory evacuation of more than 50,000 residents across a nine-square-mile zone in Garden Grove and Stanton. The risk of explosion is ultimately negated when a crack in the tank relieves internal pressure. Evacuation orders are lifted by late May.
June 4: U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie S. Christensen signs the federal search warrant. Concurrently, a planned local operation to drain nearby chemical tanks is indefinitely postponed.
June 9: Hundreds of residents pack a Garden Grove City Council meeting to confront GKN officials about the emergency and community relief efforts.
Wednesday Morning (June 10): FBI and EPA agents raid the GKN Aerospace facility.
Former GKN employee raises concerns amid chemical threat
FOX 11 is learning more about the company that controls the tanks in Garden Grove as a former employee speaks out.
Dig deeper:
The federal search warrant follows a major hazardous materials crisis that began on May 21 when a valve failure in the refrigeration system at the plant caused a 34,000-gallon storage tank containing 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate to rapidly overheat.
The resulting "thermal runaway" triggered intense chemical pressure that caused the tank to bulge, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency and force the mandatory evacuation of more than 50,000 residents across a nine-square-mile zone over the Memorial Day holiday weekend due to the imminent threat of a catastrophic explosion.
While disaster was narrowly averted when the tank cracked just enough to vent pressure and cool down—allowing evacuation orders to be lifted by late May—the community's relief has been short-lived.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Arrests made in Garden Grove evacuation zone
- Former GKN Aerospace employee raises concerns
- Garden Grove chemical leak: Explosion threat gone, evacuations ease
A highly anticipated cleanup effort by the Orange County Health Care Agency to safely drain and remove the neutralized chemical from the damaged facility, originally scheduled to begin on June 4, has been abruptly postponed and delayed indefinitely due to an unexpected unavailability of critical specialized resources.
What they're saying:
During a packed Garden Grove City Council meeting, residents voiced frustrations over the evacuation and financial strain.
GKN Aerospace recently announced it had donated $3 million to the United Way's OC Community Resilience Fund and committed another $1 million for "broader community initiatives" across the county, adding to an initial $1 million donation to the Red Cross during the evacuations.
However, local officials argue the financial response falls short.
Garden Grove chemical crisis evacuations lifted
All evacuation orders tied to the Garden Grove hazardous materials emergency were lifted after officials determined there was no chemical leak or danger to the public.
"While this $3 million will help some folks... it is not a refund or reimbursement," said Councilwoman Ariana Arestegui.
Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Chaffee expressed disappointment that the company did not establish a formal claims procedure for residents to access. Calling the $3 million a "drop in the bucket."
"I feel they're remiss in not doing that because now they're facing the litigation, which is more expensive. They could get all of the minor claims out of the way," said Chaffee.
What's next:
The federal government’s digital forensics teams will spend the coming months analyzing electronic records seized from the facility.
Locally, authorities are waiting to resume the postponed cleanup operation to pump MMA out of two undamaged storage tanks adjacent to the broken one.
According to Orange County Health Care Agency spokeswoman Salma Elshakre, the operation was stalled due to a delay in the delivery of sealed trucks needed for the job.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Unstable Garden Grove chemical tank keeps 50,000 under evacuation orders
- Garden Grove chemical crisis: Push to stop explosion threats
- Garden Grove tank crisis: OC firefighters on 'all-night mission' to eliminate threat of explosion
Once those specialized resources arrive, workers will transfer the chemicals to the sealed trucks for off-site disposal.
Officials noted that nearby residents might notice a "distinctive fruity or plastic-like odor" when the pumping begins, but air monitoring will continue around the plant to ensure public safety guidelines are strictly maintained.
The Source: This report is based on public federal court records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, including the authorized search warrant signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie S. Christensen. On-the-scene visual confirmation was provided by broadcast footage from SkyFOX, with verified statements and enforcement details provided by a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office, representatives from the Orange County Health Care Agency, and public testimony from the Garden Grove City Council meeting.