U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer has secured nearly $730 million in federal funding for the construction of Sandy-related USACE projects, including storm protection projects in Long Island’s Fire Island to Montauk Point plan, the Rockaway and Jamaica Bay Reformulation and Staten Island’s South Shore Sea Wall.
The $730 million in funding was previously trapped in limbo, unable to fund the construction of critical mitigation work throughout New York.
Schumer successfully transferred these funds in the just-passed budget so that they can be used towards the construction of desperately needed coastline protection projects in New York.
According to Schumer, this additional $730 million will help to ensure critical pieces of the FIMP plan move forward including beach and dune fill, groin modifications, inlet dredging and other structural improvements such as the building of berms and resources towards home elevations for endangered communities in Suffolk County.
“The reprogramming of the $730 million that was trapped in limbo is a game-changer for critical storm protection projects on Long Island that otherwise may never be built. It serves as an insurance policy of resources for the Army Corps to move forward on various flood prevention elements of Long Island’s critically-needed FIMP project, ” Schumer said.
“These funds will give a major boost to the Army Corps’ construction account and help grease the skids for desperately needed resiliency projects across New York so that they can move full steam ahead. With these funds there should be little in the way of completing this important storm protection project on Long Island.”
In 2013, Schumer successfully passed the Sandy Relief bill which provided $60 billion in federal disaster funds. Of that, over $5 billion was appropriated to Army Corps projects, with over $2.1B for New York Army Corps projects. One of the main goals of the Sandy relief package was to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild and fortify the New York coastline.