The Senate version of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for FY 2016 will include $1.8 million in federal funding for the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study, which will allow a feasibility study for mitigation and resiliency projects to protect Nassau Back Bay.
President Obama recently requested that just $1 million in 2016 Appropriations be allocated towards the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study, which was not enough funding to start the feasibility study for Nassau Back Bay.
Similarly, the Appropriations Bill that passed the House of Representatives earlier this month also fell short of including enough funding to begin work on Nassau Back Bay.
The Sandy Relief Bill included $20 million for a comprehensive study to address the flood risks of vulnerable coastal populations that were affected by Superstorm Sandy – from Virginia to Maine.
In this study, the Army Corps concluded that there were 9 vulnerable focus areas that needed to be protected; one of which was the Back Bay communities of Nassau County.
After the President’s budget did not include enough funding to begin a feasibility study for Nassau Back Bay, the next step in the Army Corp’s process, Schumer personally pushed the Senate Appropriations committee in February urging them to increase the amount allocated to the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study so that there would be enough funds to ensure the Nassau Back Bay Study was started as soon as possible.
The additional funding will help kick start the Nassau Back Bay feasibility study so projects can be implemented as soon as possible.