Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coastal Hospital Resilience topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would fund fuel and water storage for hospitals near Oregon tsunami inundation zones
Summary
Representative David Gomberg and coastal hospital leaders told the House committee that House Bill 3788 would create a Business Oregon grant program to help hospitals within 25 miles of tsunami inundation zones store emergency fuel and potable water.
Representative David Gomberg told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans on March 27 that House Bill 3788 would create a grant program, administered by the Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon), to help hospitals located near tsunami inundation zones obtain emergency fuel and potable water storage.
Gomberg said the bill targets hospitals within 25 miles of the tsunami inundation zone; an amendment on the legislative information page clarified that “medical facility” in the bill means a hospital and that eligible entities must lack storage for a two‑week supply of fuel or water. “Our hospitals throughout Oregon, and particularly on the Oregon Coast, have about three days supply of drinkable water and fuel,” Gomberg said, citing a report to the Oregon Seismic Policy Advisory Commission.
Leslie Ogden, CEO of Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport and Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City, urged support. “Without a reliable four‑week supply of fuel and water, which is the ideal that’s recommended, our ability to provide lifesaving care will be crippled,” Ogden said, citing the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami risks to coastal infrastructure. Ogden described local vulnerabilities including the Big Creek Dam—Newport’s sole water source—which she said is at risk of failure from a small seismic event.
Gomberg said the program would fund a range of options—above‑ground or below‑ground tanks, drilled wells or microgrids—after grant recipients determine the best local approach. He said the bill prioritizes hospitals near the coast because funding is limited and said he hopes to forward the measure to Ways and Means for funding consideration.
Rep. Graber voiced support and noted the importance of locating critical facilities in safer areas when feasible. Committee members closed the public hearing on House Bill 3788 without voting; testimony emphasized the potential regional economic and public‑health impacts of hospital failures after major disasters.
Speakers quoted in this article are those who testified during the March 27 public hearing and are listed in the article’s speaker array.
