The chemical leak that prompted evacuations in Orange County, Calif., on Friday occurred at GKN Aerospace, a manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom that produces jet engines, landing gear and other components for military and civilian aircraft.
About 16,000 people are employed at the company overall, including at least 540 at the location with the leak in Garden Grove, Calif., according to a 2024 news release. Its products are used in planes produced by Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier as well as the space industry.
The California site, one of 32 manufacturing plants the company has across the world, was undergoing an expansion to create a new production line, set to be completed in January 2027. According to a city planning document, the site, which has been in operation since 2004, sits on about 15.5 acres.
At the Garden Grove facility, airplane windows and military canopies are designed and tested, including some used in commercial aircrafts like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the company’s website states.
In 2018, the company was sold to Melrose Industries, an investment firm that specializes in purchasing struggling businesses and turning them around.
Records show the Garden Grove facility has undergone four inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 2018. The company was fined $2,550 or less for unknown infractions that have since been fixed.
Pooja Salhotra covers breaking news across the United States.
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