Oregon’s delegation urges feds to declare fires’ smoke public health emergency

Lawmakers also seek immediate housing aid for evacuees

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Kurt Schrader and Greg Walden, on Monday urged Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to declare the wildfires in Oregon a public health emergency.

They said such a move better equips the state to respond to the disaster by freeing up resources and granting much-needed administrative flexibility.

“Air quality and smoke produced by the wildfires present a significant health threat for individuals with underlying health conditions such as asthma or lung conditions, and threaten to make the COVID-19 pandemic worse. Over the last several days, air quality across Oregon has ranked among the worst in the world and even maxed out the scale used by the Environmental Protection Agency to measure hazardous air quality. Right now, 10 percent of all hospital admissions in the state are asthma related,” the lawmakers wrote.

In addition, the Oregon members are requesting that the secretary modify critical waivers for Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule requirements to give patients and providers the greatest flexibility in meeting the dual emergency health needs of the wildfires and COVID-19, among other critical steps.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that smoke can make individuals more prone to respiratory diseases, including the coronavirus. And while in other years, Oregonians could go to their local libraries or other large indoor public spaces to be in cleaner and cooler air, many of those spaces are currently closed due to the pandemic. Wildfire evacuation protocols have challenged those who are in isolation or quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, exposure to the virus, or clinical COVID-19 symptoms,” the lawmakers continued.

In following with the issuance of a public health declaration, the Oregon members asked that appropriate actions in responding to the disaster and pandemic be taken, including but not limited to:

• Making “no-year” funds appropriated to the Public Health Emergency Fund available;
• Deploying regional emergency coordinators to work with federal, state, local, and tribal health officials;
• Providing medical supplies, equipment and services;
• Making staff from HHS’ National Disaster Medical System and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioner Corps available; and
• Granting extensions or waiving application deadlines for any HHS grants.

The full text of the letter is available here and follows below.

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September 14, 2020

The Honorable Alex M. Azar II

Secretary

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Secretary Azar,

We write to urge you to immediately declare a public health emergency under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) in the State of Oregon due to a wildfire disaster beginning on September 7, 2020 and continuing.

On August 19, Governor Kate Brown declared a statewide State of Emergency. On September 9, the Governor requested a federal emergency declaration, which was approved the following day by President Trump. Today, the Governor requested a major disaster declaration for the state by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Currently, wildfires across Oregon have placed approximately 500,000 individuals under evacuation notice with an estimated 40,000 individuals forced to evacuate from dangerous areas. Many evacuees do not have homes to return to, and are staying with family or friends, in vehicles, hotels, motels, and other congregate and non-congregate shelters that follow COVID-19 public health guidance. Power lines and communications are damaged, transportation routes are closed, and medically vulnerable individuals now face the dual challenge of both a wildfire disaster and pandemic.

Air quality and smoke produced by the wildfires present a significant health threat for individuals with underlying health conditions such as asthma or lung conditions, and threaten to make the COVID-19 pandemic worse. Over the last several days, air quality across Oregon has ranked among the worst in the world and even maxed out the scale used by the Environmental Protection Agency to measure hazardous air quality. Right now, 10 percent of all hospital admissions in the state are asthma related.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that smoke can make individuals more prone to respiratory diseases, including the coronavirus. And while in other years Oregonians could go to their local libraries or other large indoor public spaces to be in cleaner and cooler air, many of those spaces are currently closed due to the pandemic. Wildfire evacuation protocols have challenged those who are in isolation or quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, exposure to the virus, or clinical COVID-19 symptoms.

The wildfire and air quality conditions threaten to increase demand on the health care system as providers respond to COVID-19. On Monday, September 14, 2020, the Oregon Health Authority announced that the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) closed for the day due to air quality conditions that made it too hazardous to safely use appropriate air safety equipment including hoods. COVID-19 testing numbers in Oregon have appeared to decrease due to widespread hazardous conditions that have closed testing locations and forced many individuals to avoid outdoor activity.

Amid the wildfire disaster and COVID-19 pandemic, Oregonians are facing increased stress and anxiety, which also requires emotional support and access to crisis counseling.

We therefore urge you to determine that the wildfires in Oregon are a public health emergency by invoking section 319 of the PHSA to better equip the state in responding to this disaster. We also urge you to issue or modify related waivers for Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule requirements to give patients and providers the greatest flexibility in meeting the dual emergency health needs of the wildfires and COVID-19.

In following the public health declaration, we request that you take all appropriate actions in responding to the disaster and pandemic, including but not limited to:

• Making “no-year” funds appropriated to the Public Health Emergency Fund available
• Deploying regional emergency coordinators (RECs) to work with federal, state, local, and tribal health officials
• Providing medical supplies, equipment and services
• Making staff from HHS’ National Disaster Medical System and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioner Corps available
• Granting extensions or waiving application deadlines for any HHS grants

We ask that any actions and flexibilities granted to Oregon under a public health emergency declaration through the PHSA or Social Security Act be retroactive to August 19, 2020, the day Governor Kate Brown declared a statewide State of Emergency due to the wildfires.

Thank you for your attention to this immediate request.

Sincerely,

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Bonamici, Oregon Members Call for Immediate Housing Aid for Evacuees Displaced by Oregon Wildfires

WASHINGTON, DC [09/13/20] – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Peter DeFazio, Greg Walden, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader called on FEMA to provide additional, immediate housing aid to protect the health and safety of the thousands of people displaced by the Oregon wildfires, and to secure housing stability for the lowest-income survivors. 

“Tens of thousands of Oregonians have been placed under evacuation orders, and hundreds have already lost their homes,” the Members write in the letter. “Unfortunately, these figures continue to grow by the hour and day. As first responders fight to contain fires and we begin to assess how the fires have wreaked havoc on our communities, we need additional federal resources—particularly for those in need of immediate and longer-term shelter.”

Bonamici and the Members request that FEMA immediately make available the greatest possible range of assistance programs as requested by the Governor, including Individual Assistance (IA), Public Assistance (PA), Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA), and any other available short- and long-term housing resources. They also ask that FEMA waive current state cost-share requirements so evacuees and survivors can be housed without delay in stable, affordable accommodations as they strive to recover.

The full letter can be read below.

Oregon’s housing and homelessness crisis existed prior to the pandemic and the wildfires. Both disasters have put thousands more people on the street and left many others at risk of losing their home. According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, before the wildfires Oregon already lacked 96,643 affordable rental homes for extremely low-income renters. 

The 2020 Oregon wildfires have already destroyed hundreds of housing units and caused about 40,000 people to evacuate. About 500 Oregonians are staying in congregant shelters, and the Red Cross has helped another 2,300 find shelter in motels or hotels. As the wildfires rage across more than one million acres, there is an urgent need for additional housing solutions to protect the health and safety of evacuees and survivors now and in the long-term.

Dear Administrator Gaynor,

As you are aware, Oregon has declared a State of Emergency because of the recent wildfires, and the President has approved the state’s Emergency Disaster Declaration request. A Major Disaster Declaration request is also currently under consideration. We are writing with a specific request that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) take additional action to protect the health and safety of people experiencing displacement and houselessness, and to secure housing stability for the lowest-income survivors displaced by the wildfires in Oregon.

Wildfires continue to surge across Oregon at unprecedented rates. Because of historic winds and dry fuel conditions, nearly one million acres have already burned just in the past few days. For comparison, for the last ten years an average of approximately 500,000 acres have burned each year during an entire fire season in our state. Air quality has surpassed hazardous levels, further endangering the health and livelihoods of those already at risk of respiratory issues from the coronavirus pandemic.

Tens of thousands of Oregonians have been placed under evacuation orders, and hundreds have already lost their homes. Unfortunately, these figures continue to grow by the hour and day. We are grateful to the state and federal personnel who have made lifesaving measures a priority this week, but the road to recovery will be long and challenging. As first responders fight to contain fires and we begin to assess how the fires have wreaked havoc on our communities, we need additional federal resources—particularly for those in need of immediate and longer-term shelter.

We urgently ask that FEMA immediately make available the greatest possible range of assistance programs as requested by the Governor, potentially including Individual Assistance (IA), Public Assistance (PA), Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA), and any other available short- and long-term housing resources. We also request that FEMA waive current state cost-share requirements to help quickly move unsheltered individuals to safety and make sure that survivors have stable, affordable accommodations as they strive to recover.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent request and for your continued commitment to responding to the desperate needs of Oregonians affected by these catastrophic wildfires.

Sincerely,