When you are out beach combing...Please remember to Call 211 for anything questionable nature such as barrels or containers of liquids that may pose a health risk to you or anyone else on the beach. Please don't try to remove it yourself.
"The hotline will allow the public to help keep Oregon's beaches clean and return any missing Japanese property to its rightful owners, the governor said. He also said Brig. Gen. Mike Caldwell, deputy director of the Oregon National Guard and interim director of the state's Office of Emergency Management, will be responsible for coordinating the response and cleanup efforts among state agencies.
It's important to quickly collect and throw away tsunami debris to keep beaches clean and prevent the introduction of invasive species, Caldwell said. Officials are asking that people not take home debris to keep as souvenirs, but they say there's little chance of the debris being harmful to human health.
People should be especially mindful of items that might have sentimental value or personal significance to someone in Japan, officials said. When such items wash up, Oregon will work with the Japanese consulate to return them.
Helping with tsunami debris is a new responsibility for the 211 hotline, which was created in 2004 to help people in the Portland area get connected with health and community services. It's since expanded to cover 80 percent of Oregon's population, according to the website of the nonprofit organization that operates it.
Oregon will work with California, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii to request money from the federal government to help with their efforts. If the debris had washed up all at once, it would unquestionably qualify for federal disaster funds, Kitzhaber said. But since it's emerging in pieces, the states will have to work harder, he said."
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