Posted on September 20, 2016
By Rachel Shapiro, silive.com
The public has 30 days to comment on the final version of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ project to build a seawall along the East Shore.
The plan includes constructing a buried seawall from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach, a floodwall around the waterfront sides of the Oakwood Beach treatment facility and a levee along Oakwood Creek in Oakwood Beach, replacing an existing levee built there in 2000.
Construction on the $579 million project is expected to begin in 2018 and be completed by 2021. It is designed to protect the shore from future Hurricane Sandy-like storms.
The final public comment period has begun, and people have until Oct. 17 to contact Catherine J. Alcoba at 917–790–8216 to submit their comments.
The Army Corps and the U.S. Department of Agriculture had been arguing over which agency would pay for and get the rights to a conservation easement at the New Creek Bluebelt.
While is stalled progress on the USDA’s Bluebelt project, the Army Corps seawall project continued through the planning and design process, and it has since been resolved.
At the urging of Sen. Charles Schumer, some red tape was trimmed from the seawall project, saving some time.
Source: silive.com
