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Jamaica Bay
By Michael V. Cusenza
Essential provisions for New York’s water resources are included in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act recently released by the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (both D-N.Y.) announced on Friday.
The legislation, called “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020,” contains language that would authorize five provisions, including the Army Corps East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Hurricane Sandy Reformulation Project.
The authorization, according to Schumer and Gillibrand, gives the Army Corps of Engineers the green light to complete initial construction of the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay Hurricane Sandy Reformulation Project at full federal expense. It will also authorize maintenance of the project once construction is complete. The senators’ request will ensure that if money runs out before construction is complete the corps can finish construction without having to seek a cost share from a local sponsor.
“America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020” also includes language to expedite completion of Army Corps studies that will lead to several new projects key to New York’s water restoration, risk management, and navigation, the senators noted.
“The inclusion of these vital water infrastructure and flood mitigation projects is good news for everyone in New York,” Schumer said. “Communities in recent years have been battered by severe storms and flooding and shorelines have been gouged by erosion, threatening homes and safety. These projects will give ocean, river and lakefront communities protection and improve the quality of life in New York.”
The Water Resources Development Acthas recently been passed every two years and authorizes water resources studies and projects and sets policies for navigation, flood control, hydropower, recreation, water supply, and emergency management for the Army Corps. The legislation will be formally introduced and marked-up by the Senate EPW Committee after the Senate fully reconvenes in the coming weeks
“I am very pleased that these vitally important projects were included in the Senate’s draft WRDA bill this year,” said Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “These projects will help to better protect communities from the future risks of high water levels on Lake Ontario, from storm surge and extreme weather along our Atlantic coast. I’m proud to have fought for key provisions for our state in this bill and I will continue working hard to keep our shorelines protected and our waterways safe and clean as the legislation progresses.”
The legislation also includes:
The report on Emergency Flood Protection for Lakes, which will require a report on the extent to which the Army Corps’ emergency fund for responding to natural disasters, typically river flooding, applies to lakes flooding. The report will make recommendations on any statutory changes needed to ensure that lakes are eligible for the program.
Language to expedite studies currently being conducted by the Army Corps, including: Hudson-Raritan Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Project, New York Harbor Anchorages Navigation Project, Westchester County Streams Flood Risk Management Project, Fire Island to Montauk Point Reformulation Project, Hudson River Habitat Restoration Project, and Lake Montauk Harbor Navigation Project.
