All evacuation orders in the Garden Grove area were lifted Tuesday night, days after a toxic chemical leak at an aerospace company prompted them.
The announcement was made in the middle of a packed city council meeting.
“We got it,” OC Fire Chief Craig Covey told the crowd. “I told you that we were doing some critical steps today. We got the first one done. I've been texting over there with the operations staff in the field. We did not want to delay you from going home. I just got positive news that the tank has stayed stable since the three or four hours that we turned the water off, and all parties involved, the healthcare agency, the EPA, the technical experts, our hazmat team, and our full line, at 7:30, an alert is going to go out on your phone, and all residents will go home.”
He added that firefighters would remain on scene, and a 300-foot safety perimeter around the building is still in place.
Prior to the announcement, residents shared frustration, fear, and lingering questions about the chemical emergency tied to GKN Aerospace.
“And why did this happen?” one woman said. “The GKN facility in Garden Grove has been receiving notices to comply and notices of violation from the Southern California Air Quality Management District since 2013.”
“My question to you is, what have we learned from this situation, and what are we going to do different?” another woman said. “That is my question to all of you, because if I would never put my children, somebody's children's life in danger, what are you going to do to not put our lives in danger?”
Others complained about how unprepared authorities were for an incident like this, and about all the confusion and lack of communication, and how difficult it was to find a shelter or a shelter with enough available beds.
Stephanie Klopfenstein, the mayor of Garden Grove, said GKN Aerospace should be held accountable for its role in the incident.
“Our community deserves to know what happened, why it happened, and whether laws or regulations were violated, and what steps we must take to prevent something like this ever from happening again,” she said.
Orange County’s District Attorney, Todd Spitzer, launched an investigation into the toxic chemical incident, while a number of residents have already joined lawsuits against GKN.
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