Marion County has extended the deadline to submit Right of Entry forms by one week to allow state and federal partners to clean wildfire debris from private properties. Forms should be completed by property owners and turned into Marion County no later than Friday, October 23, 2020. Forms are available at bit.ly/MCRightofEntry.
Teams from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and their contractors are arriving in Oregon to begin removal of household hazardous waste (HHW) from properties damaged or destroyed by wildfire. The removal of HHW is the first in a two-step cleanup process, and is funded by FEMA and the State of Oregon with no cost to property owners.
Removal of HHW from properties in Marion County is scheduled be begin by November 2, 2020. However, many property owners have not completed the Right of Entry (ROE) form, which slows efforts to remove the waste.
"Without the ROE form, we will not be able to help people begin the process of rebuilding," says Brian Nicholas, Marion County Emergency Management Director. "If you know anyone that has lost their home in the fires, please ask them to complete the form, which will allow us to include their property in the cleanup effort."
Marion County wants to emphasize that if a property owner completes the ROE, which is recommended, no federal, state, or local agency will attempt to recoup money from insurance allocated for the rebuilding of homes. For insurance policies that include specified coverage for debris removal and a specified debris removal coverage limit, agencies may seek reimbursement for debris cleanup, but only up to the debris removal coverage limit stated in the policy.
The state will not attempt to recoup any money from insurance of property owners who have been given a lump sum payment by their insurance for all cleanup and rebuilding costs and the policy does not include specified debris removal coverage or a specified debris removal coverage limit until after their home is rebuilt. In rare instances, property owners may have funds remaining which FEMA may seek. This is simply because FEMA cannot pay for any cleanup costs that are already covered by insurance.
"The state-wide wildfire debris cleanup effort led by FEMA and the State of Oregon is the best way for property owners to get their sites cleaned up at the lowest cost, and it's the only program available to assist uninsured property owners at no cost to them," says Nicholas. "If you choose to cleanup yourself, you must still comply with DEQ regulations for asbestos and lead disposal and you will have to bear all uninsured costs on your own."
The Right of Entry form and additional information regarding wildfire recovery are available at www.MCWildfireRecovery.net. For answers to Right of Entry questions or help completing the form, call the Marion County Right of Entry helpline at (503) 365-3140.
