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Well, all evacuations have been lifted and roads are reopened in that chemical tank crisis in Garden Grove, but the fallout and the frustration is still there. CBS LA's Britney Man is live in Garden Grove with a look at what's next for affected families and businesses. Britney, a rud traffic is back moving tonight out here in Garden Grove. And this is the first time we've been able to get this close to the chemical tank uh since last Thursday when this all started. Now, businesses are back open, residents are back home, but people tell me they're stilling still dealing with the impacts of the evacuation. I heard from one business owner who said he's out tens of thousands of dollars and he wants accountability for Western Appliance Warehouse. A
packed showroom like this is not a good thing. The Memorial Day weekend sale was supposed to clear out inventory, but evacuation orders kept customers away. And I was worried about not having enough in inventory, but now we have like too much. Owner Eric Lim was one of thousands forced to evacuate after a damaged chemical tank nearby posed a safety threat. But he says closing his doors for 5 days came at a cost, losing tens of thousands of dollars at minimum. Were, you know, out of their houses for 4 to 6 days and out of their businesses for 4 to 6 days. And, you know, there still is a lot of losses that occurred because of that. Todd Becker with Becker Law Group is now filing a mass tor case
alongside two other law firms against GKN Aerospace. He says more than 100 people have already signed on, including LIM, and he expects that number to grow. We want people to be compensated for their losses, and that compensation will include their monetary losses and their emotional trauma that they've lo that they've suffered. Officials say the threat is now contained to a 300 ft zone surrounding the damaged tank. Authorities say the threat of a fire or spill still exists, but control measures are in place. OCFA is now focused on cleaning the area and then safely moving the tank.
We don't want to move it too soon and cause a problem. While crews continue working on the ground, county officials are also taking steps to recover response costs. On Wednesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors met to ratify a federal emergency declaration, which would help reimburse costs like security, first responders, and shelters. But officials say those funds cannot be used to help businesses or residents who lost money. At this point, we're not aware of a method that the company has set up for individuals to submit claims. For now, business owners say they're left paying the price.
We still have to pay our rent. We still have to pay employees. We still have all of our expenses. I reached out to the aerospace company to see if there would be any opportunities for reimbursement. I'm still waiting on that response. Now, authorities say it could take days, even months to fix the problem here in Garden Grove. Live in Garden Grove tonight, Britney Man, CBS LA. Thanks so much, Britney. And just in tonight, we are hearing from the leadership of GKN, the aerospace company at the center of all of this. And tonight, they are apologizing. CBSLA assignment editor Mike Rogers is at the desk with a new and lengthy statement from a vice president of the company. Mike, yeah, and you know, Pat Ruday kind of
going off of what Britney said we were still waiting for there. They're alluding to it, but not revealing any real solid plans on what they're going to do for the communities that have been so impacted by this. But it's the first time we're getting this kind of lengthy statement from a head of the company. Here you go. GKN, uh, their senior vice president saying, "I want to say how sorry we are for the uncertainty and disruption the situation has caused." The statement goes on to say, "We recognize there is more work ahead. Our focus remains on supporting the community, working closely with authorities, and continuing to ensure a safe and responsible path forward. I am personally committed to working with the
Garden Grove, Stanton, and broader Orange County communities on these efforts." The statement does not offer any further details on what the efforts are, what they may be. You heard in Britney's piece there and from our earlier reporting that at this point aside from legal claims that have already begun in this, there is not a mechanism through GKN to get reimbursed for any of the things that these residents had to deal with. Any of the money that the city will get, the cities or the county will get uh from any of the funding from the government cannot be used for costs to reimburse any of those residents that were put out had to pay for hotels, had to live in shelters, those kinds of things. So, uh, while GKN
is taking it a step further than they have before, saying that they are sorry for what has gone on, they still have not identified any mechanism for residents to get reimbursed for the things they dealt with. Though, they say they'll be standing with those communities on a path forward. We'll wait to see what that path forward is, guys. Thanks so much, Mike.
