Congressman Derek Tran Issues Statement After GKN Aerospace Announces $100M Claims Program

Aug

2026

PRESS RELEASE

Congressman Derek Tran Issues Statement After GKN Aerospace Announces $100M Claims Program

Garden Grove, CA – Today, frontline candidate and Democratic nominee Derek Tran, who represents the most competitive House seat in Southern California, released the following statement after GKN Aerospace announced a program to resolve claims for community damages incurred during the hazardous materials incident in May:

“During and following the hazardous materials incident at GKN Aerospace in May, I made a commitment to our community that I will do everything in my power to hold GKN accountable.

“Today, following months of pressure for GKN to aid in our intergovernmental recovery operation, they are stepping up with a $100 million commitment in grant funding to support the families, workers, and small business owners impacted.

“Along with the resources I have secured at the federal level, including recently a Disaster Declaration from the Small Business Administration to support our small business community, these resources will ensure our community continues on a path forward and is united together towards recovery.

“I will continue to ensure that every resource available is distributed to our community, equitably and transparently.”

Earlier this month, Congressman Tran met with the owners of Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen, one of the 5,000 small businesses impacted by the incident, speaking exclusively with KABC on new legislation that would require contractors like GKN to properly engage with their surrounding communities on emergency notification procedures and protective actions. This bill, the Hazardous Materials Transparency Act, was introduced on August 13, 2026, and was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services for review.

During the incident, Tran hosted a virtual phone bank with volunteers to reach out to impacted families and share urgent evacuation details. Additionally, Tran secured a Federal Emergency Declaration to obtain additional public health resources from the federal government.