UPDATE: GKN Hazmat Crisis
I want to recognize the extraordinary effort from our community to deal with one of the worst crises the County has endured.
More than 50,000 residents across Garden Grove and neighboring cities were evacuated due to overheated chemical tanks at GKN Aerospace.
I was at the command center and the various shelters for 18 hours a day throughout this weeklong crisis. My family and staff also worked tirelessly to ensure that our impacted residents had shelters and necessities needed during this incredible time.
While the scale of the evacuations and impacts to residents, businesses, schools and transportation was immense, I ensured that County resources were available enlisting help from the County Health Care Agency, OC Animal Care, Public Works, OC Parks, Social Services and more.
No one was injured or killed and that is the most important and gratifying part of all.
To recap, this incident began on May 21 and ended on Thursday, May 28 at 8 p.m. We understand there are more questions than answers. As your Supervisor, I am pushing to get more information to my constituents. While the County is not liable for this incident or the aftermath, we are stepping in to provide information to the public as we become aware at https://www.ocgov.com/gkn-aerospace-hazmat-incident.
Our webpage has information that includes a form for small businesses to fill out and the Sheriff’s Department will forward this to the Small Business Administration.
Again, I want people to know that the ultimate responsibility for this incident is GKN Aerospace.
The webpage will be updated as we have more information. While I realize that this incident has been frustrating for many of you, we are searching for answers.
Cleanup will need to be done at the site. The Air Quality Management District, where I sit as a Board member, has been monitoring the air. California’s Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the cleanup, which includes preventing any toxicity into our waterways.
Orange County Health Care Agency will also monitor cleanup of the site. None of this material will be placed in our landfills.
I want to give a special thank you to the Orange County Fire Authority, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Garden Grove Mayor Klopfenstein, who was right there with me. She showed up, she stayed, and she advocated fiercely for our residents every step of the way.
But most of all, I want to thank you – the residents of the First District – for your resilience, patience and ability to come together in a time of crisis giving heartfelt responses in so many ways.
Solving the coastline trash problem in Seal Beach
I’m pleased to report that we are reaching a large milestone in the cleanup of trash accumulating on the Seal Beach coastline from the San Gabriel River.
More than 500 tons of trash washed ashore last year, coming from 18 cities upstream. My office is a member of the San Gabriel River Trash Mitigation working group, which has spent the past several years trying to solve this problem. Members include Los Angeles County and local, state and federal offices.
The County of Orange has spent more than $500,000 funding a study on how best to collect the trash.
This week I spoke at a press conference that announced a partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch nonprofit which has created innovative interceptor barriers that collect trash in oceans and rivers around the world.
The Ocean Cleanup, Kia and Primo Brands will fund an interceptor with the goal of placement in the San Gabriel River before the 2028 Olympics. The County of Los Angeles will pay for ongoing maintenance and emptying of trash.
This is such exciting news. The small city of Seal Beach should not be forced to clean up tons of trash that isn’t theirs but they have done this for years to avoid having plastics, metals, furniture, bedding and everything imaginable continue down our coast toward San Clemente.
All of us take pride living in such a clean, safe and responsible County. I’m so proud that the First District has a role in solving this crisis so everyone can enjoy pristine beaches. See the interceptor in action here: https://youtu.be/aGSySUtToQ8
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