A solid waste voucher program was recently set up in Douglas County in Oregon during the March flood emergency in a partnership between the Douglas County Solid Waste Department and the Douglas County Emergency Management Department. This voucher program helped residents remove solid waste damaged in the flood quickly. The swift removal of flood-damaged waste greatly assists in recovery efforts for county residents to help get their homes and lives back in order while also preventing safety concerns.

The voucher program idea came from the county’s experience with a similar program following the Archie Creek fire in 2020.

“Douglas County has a financial assurance agreement with the Department of Environmental Quality that explicitly prohibits Douglas County from taking waste and depositing it in our landfill for ‘free,’” Douglas County Commissioner Tom Kress explained. “The idea for the voucher program came directly from our experience during the Archie Creek fire in 2020. At that time, we needed a method to help landowners clear fire-damaged ash and debris to allow for rapid rebuilding. The Department of Environmental Quality permitted us to accept nonhazardous debris at our landfill at no cost for those victims, and it worked very well. So much so, in fact, that other counties later implemented similar efforts. That past success is what inspired us to adopt a similar model in response to the recent flood.”

Given the past collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality and the success of the program, when Douglas County experienced the flood emergency this year, it was assumed a similar program could easily be implemented. However, that was not the case.

“Because it was essential to remove waterlogged materials quickly from residents’ homes, we moved swiftly,” Kress described. “Simultaneously requesting permission from the DEQ to run the program while initiating it. We assumed the DEQ would again support the effort given the precedent in 2020. Unfortunately, that assumption was incorrect. This time the DEQ did not approve the program but was willing to overlook our limited program of individual-only vouchers.”

Since many residents had already contacted haulers, this created a challenge for the county. “To manage the process effectively, our Geographic Information System department built an overlay map identifying potential flood zones across Douglas County. Using that data, our solid waste department issued vouchers on a case-by-case basis.”

The department had to use the data to verify the resident was in an area affected by the flood. Once approved, residents could transport the flood-damaged waste to any of the county’s transfer stations or the landfill and present their voucher for free disposal.

Since it involved assisting in a flood emergency, much of the voucher program occurred simultaneously. “Due to the urgency, planning and execution happened in tandem,” Kress shared. “The reality of emergency response is that waiting for perfect conditions can delay much-needed help. We believed, based on past experience, the DEQ would back our efforts retroactively. While they did eventually allow limited implementation, the restrictions associated with the financial assurance agreement created challenges. Still, our department moved quickly to establish eligibility, issue vouchers and coordinate across agencies to get the program up and running.”

Despite the challenges, the county’s quick response was well received by the residents who utilized the voucher program. It allowed residents to dispose of flood-damaged belongings quickly at no additional fee and assisted in their recovery efforts. However, the most common complaint was the residents’ inability to use commercial haulers. This caused frustration since many residents had already hired haulers. However, the voucher program is still considered a success for the county.

“It helped expedite cleanup and prevented health and safety issues from lingering flood debris,” Kress stated. “The primary challenge was navigating the DEQ’s restrictions, particularly the exclusion of haulers, which limited the reach of the program and caused some dissatisfaction.”

Because of the restrictions from the DEQ, the county accrued some costs. The state of Oregon agreed to provide the county with a one-time grant to help offset the voucher program’s revenue loss and provide reimbursement for residents who had already hired commercial haulers. While the county has not yet received the grant funds, it has moved forward with submitting detailed reimbursement spreadsheets.

“The program wound down organically as requests for vouchers tapered off,” Kress shared. “We never established a formal end date, but once demand diminished, it made sense to conclude the effort. While the community has largely moved forward, we’re still managing the administrative aftermath, especially the pending reimbursement from the state for the hauler-related expenses.”

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