SCHUMER: LONG BEACH DUNE PROJECT ADVANCES; ARMY CORPS WILL OPEN BID PROCESS THIS WEEK & SHOVELS WILL BE IN THE GROUND SOON AFTER
Schumer Secured Funds to Complete The Estimated $150 Million Long Beach Protection Project—Between East Rockaway Inlet & Jones Inlet—Seven Miles of Shoreline
Army Corps Has Officially Approved the “Project Partnership Agreement” for Dune Project & the Bid Will Open This Week; Construction of Long Beach Dune Project Will Ensure Community is Not Left Vulnerable in Event of Future Storm
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Long Beach Island Dune Project Partnership Agreement (PPA), which is a legally binding agreement necessary to commence with a water resources project, has officially been approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. The necessary step to advance this project now means the Long Beach Island Dune project can move forward with announcing a formal bid process. Schumer says this news ensures shovels will soon be in the ground, followed by further construction.
“Today’s news means that dune protections for Long Beach are moving forward,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “Long Beach is well on its way towards a more resilient waterfront and a more hardened shoreline between East Rockaway Inlet and Jones Inlet. With the bid set to open this week, shovels will soon be in the ground and Long Beach homeowners and businesses will soon be better protected in the event of another storm. I am pleased to see the Army Corps of Engineers has heeded the call and is making this important project a reality for the community.”
"The Long Beach Dune Project is a crucial investment that will protect the Long Beach residents and the critical infrastructure that they rely on. Strengthening coastal resiliency is essential to building back stronger after Superstorm Sandy, and to preparing Long Island for future storms. I am pleased to see this project moving forward, and will continue to work with Senator Schumer to strengthen our coastal communities,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.
Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano stated, “As a barrier island, Long Beach homeowners and businesses are highly susceptible to storm damage. I thank Senator Schumer for his efforts in securing Federal funding for the Long Beach Dune Project as it will strengthen our shoreline and better protect the Long Beach community from future storms.”
“Hempstead Town has been committed to the Long Beach Island Project for decades, and we are thrilled that the Army Corps has approved execution of this Project Partnership Agreement,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony J. Santino. “This area is in desperate need of a long-term solution to the erosion that threatens residences and businesses that call our barrier island home and each step closer that we get to the commencement of a project is a step in the right direction. I would like to thank Senator Charles Schumer for his efforts to move this project forward on behalf of the residents of Hempstead Town.”?
"We are thrilled to see this critically important, long-overdue project finally moving forward and we sincerely thank Senator Schumer for his efforts in helping us move this federally funded project along," said City Council Vice President Anthony Eramo. "The Army Corps of Engineers project is one that this City Council demanded, and for the first time in our City's history, we will have an engineered beach to prevent flooding. This is an extremely significant step forward as we rebuild a stronger, smarter, and safer Long Beach."
Following passage of the Sandy Relief Bill, Schumer worked hard to secure full federal funding for this project. The Sandy relief bill that was signed into law required only that the feds pick up 65% of the project cost, but that amount could be increased if the projects met the criteria of “on-going construction” and are updated to make them stronger, more resilient, and offer better protection against storms. Immediately after the bill’s passage, Schumer began working with the Army Corps of Engineers and Office of Management and Budget to lay out a strategic pathway for this project, and others, to be considered as “ongoing construction” and modified to adapt to the changing climate and therefore eligible for full federal funding. The estimated cost of this project is $150 million.
In 2013, Schumer met with community leaders and local officials at Point Lookout and pushed OMB and the Army Corps to begin construction and planning of the barrier island protection project immediately so the affected communities are not left vulnerable to future storms. The Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach passed resolutions in support of the project. Details about the project proposal have been released and point to a dune of approximately 16 feet above sea level across the length of Long Beach’s shoreline. The proposal also includes raising the island’s beach by five feet.
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