Politics & Government
Lawmakers: Army Corps Must Move Fast to Protect Fire Island
Stabilization work needs to start as hurricane season approaches, say lawmakers.
New York lawmakers are lobbying the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate emergency stabilization efforts on Fire Island and Montauk to nourish beach areas ravaged by super storm Sandy and protect the dunes against this year’s hurricane season.
In a report at Dredging Today.com, Senators Charles E. Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Tim Bishop state the work needs to start immediately.
“Superstorm Sandy seriously damaged Long Island’s South Shore communities and in light of this damage, the Army Corps should immediately move forward with all emergency stabilizations projects at Fire Island dunes and downtown Montauk,” said Senator Schumer in the article.
“The historic FIMP (New York Fire Island to Montauk Point Reformulation Study) project has been 50 years in the making and these protection measures are seriously overdue. Now that it’s fully funded by the federal government, we must make sure that this project begins as soon as possible,” the lawmakers wrote to the Assistant Secretary of the Army, according to the report.
The letter states the following:
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“We write to request that your agency take immediate action to approve the emergency stabilization projects at Fire Island dunes and downtown Montauk. These projects also represent the best short-term storm protection measures for Suffolk County’s South Shore until the entire FIMP project can be implemented. In light of the Sandy-related damage caused to the South Shore of Long Island, particularly the barrier island dune system on Fire Island, the Corps of Engineers and its partners must move as expeditiously as possible to protect south shore residents from future storms.”
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