State denies Westminster chemical emergency funding request

California emergency officials denied Westminster’s request for disaster reimbursement tied to a GKN Aerospace chemical tank emergency that led to evacuations across North Orange County, Voice of OC reported Tuesday.

The decision leaves Westminster seeking answers over emergency response costs after an incident that affected six Orange County cities and about 50,000 evacuees, according to Voice of OC.

Westminster officials said the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services denied the city’s California Disaster Assistance Act claim over the weekend, according to Voice of OC. The city sought reimbursement after responding to the chemical tank emergency with evacuation coordination, transportation, street closures and other measures.

"We are disappointed to see our request for CDAA [California Disaster Assistance Act] funding was denied," Westminster City Manager Christine Cordon said in a Tuesday text message to Voice of OC.

The incident occurred at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove and affected Westminster, Garden Grove, Stanton, Buena Park, Cypress and Anaheim, Voice of OC reported. Westminster officials said their city had the third-highest number of evacuees among the affected cities.

"As the city with the third highest number of evacuees, our community was undoubtedly affected by the incident," Cordon said in the text message to Voice of OC.

Robyn Fennig, deputy director at CalOES, said in a letter provided by city officials that state assessments did not support the reimbursement request. "However, as a result of assessments conducted following the event, the determination was made the impacts from the Orange County Chemical Incident were not of such severity and magnitude to be beyond the capabilities of local government to respond to and recover from," Fennig said in the letter.

"Therefore, the City of Westminster’s request for CDAA [California Disaster Assistance Act] funds to address the 2026 Orange County Chemical Incident is denied," Fennig said in the letter, according to Voice of OC.

Cordon said in the Tuesday text message that cities often are not set up to absorb such emergencies, particularly when they are already under financial strain or affected through no choice of their own.