2020 Oregon Wildfire Recovery – Wildfire Cleanup and Debris Removal

The State of Oregon’s Debris Management Task Force is overseeing a coordinated effort by federal, state, and local government agencies to address hazardous waste and debris removal. The task force consists of the Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Step 1: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will assess and remove household hazardous waste from burned-out properties. This work will be funded by FEMA and the State of Oregon. State, county and federal partners are actively working to develop options for Step 2: Ash and debris removal.

Step 1: Household hazardous waste removal will be provided at no cost to property owners. Federal and state governments are covering the costs of household hazardous waste removal. Property owners must sign an access agreement, called a Right of Entry form, to allow cleanup crews onto their property. Contact your county to find more information about how to submit your access agreement or call 682-800-5737.

Step 2: Homeowners will pay no upfront cost and no government agency or contractor working for them will recoup any insurance money unless it is designated for debris or left over after rebuilding your home. The Oregon Legislature has approve an initial round of funding to get started with this work while the state and counties work to maximize federal funding. The Debris Management Task Force is currently working with counties to apply for waivers from FEMA that will allow for ash and debris removal from private residential properties, the removal of concrete pads and burned cars, and soil testing.

Yes. You just need to do sign your county’s Right of Entry form to allow cleanup crews onto your property. If you’ve used insurance money for this work, that’s OK. The government will take into account work you’ve already completed before recouping insurance funds designated for debris.

If you have insurance questions, contact Oregon’s Insurance Commission Consumer Advocate Hotline: 888-877-4894. It is good practice to keep all receipts for any costs you pay for on your own.

Oregon’s Debris Management Task Force strongly urges individual property owners not to remove hazardous materials and debris themselves because of the cost and the potential risks to health and safety. Doing the cleanup on your own will cost more than using the state and county-led program, and could reduce the amount of insurance money you have available to rebuild your home.

Removal of household hazardous waste and debris can be an expensive process, costing as much as $75,000. Even with insurance, a majority of this cost may not be covered. Removal of household hazardous waste is being offered to property owns for no cost, which means that property owners can reserve their insurance funds for other recovery efforts. Removal of household hazardous waste is Step 1 in the cleanup process. State, county, and federal partners are actively working to develop funding and implementation options for Step 2: Ash and debris removal.

Learn more about how to participate in the state- and county-led cleanup program by contacting your county or by visiting wildfire.oregon.gov/cleanup

If you have specific insurance questions, contact Oregon’s Insurance Commission Consumer Advocate Hotline: 888-877-4894.

No, these are two separate processes. FEMA Individual Assistance is an important additional resource, but you do not need to apply or be approved for FEMA assistance before signing your Right of Entry form to get free removal of household hazardous waste and debris.

The state aims to start the ash and debris removal process in December 2020, and estimates this work will take 6 to 18 months to complete for the entire state depending on weather, property access limitations and the large area to be covered. As the state task force gets contractors on board, more clarity on timing will be provided.

Yes. Mobile home parks will be included in wildfire ash and debris removal.

Yes. Businesses will be included in wildfire ash and debris removal.

Yes. Second residences will be included in wildfire ash and debris removal.

Yes. The state will provide an opportunity for property owners to opt into removal of concrete and structural foundations as part of wildfire ash and debris removal.

Yes. Barns and other agricultural outbuildings will be included in wildfire ash and debris removal.

Yes. Burned cars, boats, and trailers will be included in wildfire debris removal. The state’s contractors will coordinate with the vehicle owner on this removal.

Go to Oregon DMV’s Wildfire Information webpage to learn more about reporting the destruction of vehicles from fires.

Yes. Barns and other agricultural outbuildings will be included in wildfire ash and debris removal.

Yes. Burned cars, boats, and trailers will be included in wildfire debris removal. The state’s contractors will coordinate with the vehicle owner on this removal.

Go to Oregon DMV’s Wildfire Information webpage to learn more about reporting the destruction of vehicles from fires.

If you participate in the state-led Step 2 process, ash and debris will be removed from your property by the state regardless of FEMA approval.

State contractors working on debris removal will contact property owners before removing trees.

A professional arborist will assess trees near homes and businesses to determine if they pose a safety threat and may need to be removed. Contractors will only cut down hazard trees that pose a danger to cleanup crews working to remove ash and debris from destroyed homes, such as a tree leaning over the burned down house area.

Trees that are a threat to public property, such as a road, sidewalk, parking area or trail must be removed. Hazard trees may also be removed if they are an immediate threat to public waterways.

Trees on undeveloped private property or are away from the destroyed home are the responsibility of the property owner. They will not be included in the state cleanup process.

For property owners who participate in the state-led Step 2 cleanup process, cleanup will include the removal of the top three to six inches of soil. After cleanup, the state will pay for and complete soil testing after all debris has been removed. Contaminants can get into the soil after a wildfire and be detrimental to public health. Once the state-led cleanup is complete, the state will issue the participating property owner a notice stating debris has been removed, soil has been tested, and the Right of Entry is no longer in effect.

Property owners who chose to complete cleanup on their own should:
1) Contact their county for any information on requirements.
2) Follow guidance from DEQ at ordeq.org/firedebris.

When the state-led cleanup is complete, the state will issue the participating property owner a notice stating debris has been removed, soil has been tested, and the Right of Entry is no longer in effect.

It’s crucial that Oregonians know that the state and their contractors will never ask you for money up front or to do testing before cleanup work begins. If you are concerned that the person calling you is a fraudster – hang up! You can call the wildfire debris cleanup hotline and confirm that the request was really from the state: 503-934-1700.

For more information on avoiding scams and fraud, visit the Oregon Department of Justice’s webpage on avoiding wildfire scams.

If a septic system tank can be identified and has been damaged, the state’s contractors will pump it and backfill it with a cement sand slurry, which will prevent it from caving in. Septic systems will not be removed as part of wildfire cleanup.

State contractors will mark wells to protect them from damage during cleanup work.

If you choose to do cleanup yourself, it will be at your own cost. Removal of household hazardous waste and debris can be an expensive process, costing as much as $75,000. Even with insurance, a majority of this cost may not be covered. The state and federal government is committed to paying for removal of household hazardous waste, which means that property owners can reserve their insurance funds for other recovery efforts.

DEQ and EPA strongly urge individual property owners not to remove hazardous materials and debris themselves because of the potential risks to health and safety. However, if you take on cleanup yourself, please do the following:

• Contact your county or call 682-800-5737 to opt out of the assisted cleanup.
• Contact your insurance provider before you begin cleanup to learn of requirements they may have for reimbursement.
• Contact your county or city code enforcement agency to determine their cleanup requirements for new construction permits.
• Determine if the ash and debris contain asbestos. Many homes and buildings have materials with asbestos. State rules govern various aspects of managing and removing asbestos. You can hire an accredited inspector to survey your property for asbestos-containing materials, or you can presume that all debris and ash contain asbestos. DEQ strongly recommends hiring a licensed abatement contractor to perform any abatement activities. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and there is no known safe level of exposure. Refer to guidance on DEQ's asbestos webpage or contact DEQ prior to starting any ash or debris cleanup activities.
• Contact your local waste disposal site to learn what requirements they have for waste acceptance. Many landfills require specific documentation of the waste you drop off so they can handle it properly and comply with regulations. This can include lab results to determine what hazardous materials are in your debris. If you do not have the proper documentation, you may not be allowed to dispose of your debris.
  
• Cover ash and debris loads during transport.
• Asbestos containing waste materials must be packaged properly for transport and disposal. This means double bagging the material in 6 mil plastic sheeting, and labeling it as asbestos.
• Recycle metal, concrete and wood debris. Clean recyclable materials with water prior to transport to reduce the spread of asbestos or other contaminants in the ash. Do not discharge water containing ash into the stormwater system or surface waters, as it can cause water quality issues.
• Find more information about cleanup requirements on DEQ’s wildfire debris removal webpage.
• Follow safety precautions outlined here.

Yes. The property owner just needs to sign an access agreement to allow cleanup crews on their property. The access agreement is called a Right of Entry form. Personal information will not be shared with the federal government. Contact your county to find more information about how to submit your access agreement.

If you choose to return to your property, follow these safety tips to protect yourself and your family.

Once Step 1, household hazardous waste removal work is complete, EPA posts a “Complete” sign on the property and enters the property into a database that automatically tells the county and state that the property is ready for Step 2, ash and debris removal. Check hazardous waste cleanup progress for your property on EPA’s 2020 Oregon Fires Recovery website.

Yes. If you didn’t sign up for Step 1 while EPA was doing the work in your area, you can still participate in the assisted cleanup. Sign the Right of Entry form for all wildfire debris with your county as soon as possible to get this work started. State contractors will complete Step 1, household hazardous waste removal, on your property before beginning Step 2, ash and debris removal.

There is no current deadline. However, we encourage you to submit your form quickly so cleanup work can begin as soon as possible on your property.

Crews from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assessed and removed household hazardous waste from burned homes and businesses. Household hazardous waste includes fuel, car batteries, antifreeze, paint, bleach, fertilizers, pesticides, propane tanks, disinfectants, aerosols, solvents, ammunition and more. EPA marks empty fuel tanks and metal cans with a white X to indicate they are no longer hazardous. These items will be removed as part of Step 2, ash and debris removal. With the advice of arborists, EPA also marks trees with an X if they pose a potential hazard to cleanup crews. These trees may need to be removed prior to rebuilding, and will be reassessed as part of Step 2.

Once work is complete, EPA posts a “Complete” sign on the property and enters the property into a database that automatically tells the county and state that the property is ready for Step 2, ash and debris removal. Check hazardous waste cleanup progress for your property on EPA’s 2020 Oregon Fires Recovery website.

IMPORTANT: Ash and debris are still dangerous even after Step 1 is complete. Ash and debris may contain asbestos or chemicals that are harmful to your health if inhaled. If you return to your property before Step 2, ash and debris removal is complete, follow these safety tips to protect yourself and your family.