ROWENA — After the Rowena Fire cleanup effort was delayed early last month because of insufficient funding, Gov. Tina Kotek directed Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Division of Emergency Management to “expeditiously begin” phase two on Aug. 29.
“When Oregonians are in crisis, it is our job to do what needs to be done to help people in their time of need, even when we don’t have all the answers out of the gate,” ,” Kotek said in a statement. “To the Rowena community impacted by this disaster, you can expect the state and local government to partner to provide debris cleanup at no cost to you. That’s what you’ve been told, and that’s what’s going to happen.”
Oregon does not have a dedicated debris removal fund, so the legislature must authorize any new money on a case-by-case basis, as previously reported by Columbia Gorge News. While not yet approved, Kotek ordered state agencies to cover the expenses using existing resources, with the expectation of reimbursement from the legislature at a later date.
Phase two, which will remove ash and all other non-hazardous material destroyed by the fire, is estimated to cost $5.5 million, and there’s no disaster assistance available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Phase one addressed hazardous debris and is already complete, costing $236,676.
“I am very pleased with the work that the governor and her team have been doing to find a solution,” Wasco County Commission Chair Scott Hege also said in the announcement. “I’m confident we will find a path forward together.”
According to DEQ Public Affairs Specialist Antony Sparrow, a detailed plan outlining the process for phase two is currently in the works. After completion, the contract will go out to bid, but Sparrow wasn’t able to give an exact start date. However, it will take two weeks to get equipment on site.
The Rowena Fire burned 61 residences and 91 outbuildings, and most property owners have signed up for the no-cost service that the state pledged to provide.
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