State officials are waiving fees, bending the rules and organizing relief efforts in the wake of the Joplin Tornado.
Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday day signed Executive Order to help out people whose medical records were lost in the storm. The order temporarily waives regulations to allow pharmacists and out-of-state physicians to continue caring for the victims.
Truck drivers in Kansas who deliver relief efforts to Joplin, or help cart of debris will find the going a little easier. Governor Sam Brownback’s executive order expands the hours and driving conditions during which drivers can haul away debris or deliver needed supplies. Drivers will still need to get permits for oversize or overweight loads, but the state is waiving the fees for those permits.
Missouri State Parks will waive all camping fees in three state parks for families displaced by the recent tornado in Joplin area. Division of State Parks Director Bill Bryan says camping fees will be waived at Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Table Rock State Park near Branson and Stockton State Park near Stockton. The waiver applies to all Missouri residents who are victims of the tornado outbreak in state-declared disaster counties of Jasper and Newton counties. The waiver will apply for 30 days, after which time each situation will be re-evaluated to determine if the stay needs to be extended.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is waiving specific solid waste and air pollution regulations to give residents and communities in two Missouri counties cleaning up after Sunday’s severe weather outbreak in southwest Missouri. The waiver will allow brush and yard waste to be taken to such landfills if the landfill agrees to accept it. The waiver applies only to vegetative waste caused or damaged by the Sunday’s storms. The department continues to strongly encourage, but not require, composting of vegetative waste where practical. The waiver applies only to yard waste and does not allow disposal of other items normally prohibited in sanitary or demolition landfills.
The governor will join senior officials from his administration and key staff to connect those affected by the storms with state and federal assistance programs, including food assistance; cash assistance; counseling; temporary housing; unemployment assistance; and more. The Community Response Meeting will take place Thursday, May 26th at 4 p.m. at the Taylor Performing Arts Center at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.