Wyden Introduces Clean Air Refugee Assistance Act

Wyden Introduces Clean Air Refugee Assistance Act

30 August 2018

Published by https://kqennewsradio.com/


USA – Senator Ron Wyden introduced legislation on Wednesday that he said would help people forced to seek shelter from wildfire smoke when it reaches unhealthy levels.

A release from Wyden said the Clean Air Refugee Assistance Act of 2018 would allow those seeking temporary shelter from wildfire smoke to apply for relief under a Federal Emergency Management Agency program. That program covers temporary lodging for those who cannot immediately return to their home after a disaster.

Wyden said that “Oregonians breathing unhealthy air clogged by wildfire smoke for weeks on end know these blazes are disasters” when they have to leave home to seek clean air. He said whether it is children that suffer from asthma, or senior citizens that need respirators to breathe, “all clean air refugees deserve the same consideration as other disaster victims forced to seek temporary shelter”.

The release said the legislation would let clean air refugees seek temporary lodging aid from FEMA if they live in an area where the air quality index is determined to be unhealthy for at least three consecutive days as the result of a wildfire declared to be a disaster by the President or Governor of the affected state.

Wyden said the Clean Air Refugee Assistance Act is part of what he calls his comprehensive approach to dealing with wildfires devastating Oregon and the west. Other aspects of that approach are eliminating borrowing from wildfire prevention funds, developing a plan to address hazardous fuels in the woods, securing funds so the National Guard can train members to fight wildfires, pressing the Forest Service to make air tankers available to fight wildfires, and seeking disaster assistance for Oregon farmers whose crops were destroyed by wildfires.


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