Rep. Zeldin Announces Extension of Public Comment Period for FIMP Project

Press Release

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced today that the public comment period for the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) Project, which is now a $1.16 billion project that contains funding for essential dredging and shoreline projects across NY-1, has been extended. The public comment period, which was previously set to end on September 29, 2016, was extended to October 19, 2016.

With the last hearing taking place only one day before the September 29, 2016 deadline for public comment, Congressman Zeldin sent a letter last week to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander, Colonel David Caldwell, formally requesting an extension of the deadline for public comments, which you can view a copy of here.

Last week, Congressman Zeldin also announced the dates, times and locations for the four scheduled public hearings on Long Island to discuss the next phase of FIMP, which will be held:

* September 14, 2016 for the Babylon and Islip area, at Islip Town Hall Annex, which is located at 655 Main St, Islip, NY 11751;
* September 20, 2016 for the Brookhaven area at Patchogue Watch Hill Ferry Terminal, which is located at 150 West Ave, Patchogue, NY 11772;
* September 27, 2016 for the Southampton area at Southampton University, which is located at 239 Montauk Hwy, Southampton, NY 11968; and
* September 28, 2016 for the East Hampton/Montauk area, at Montauk Playhouse, which is located at 240 Edgemere St, Montauk, NY 11954.

All four meetings will begin at 6:00 PM with a poster board session. The formal presentation will begin at 7:00 PM and will be followed by a moderated question and answer session.

In addition to attending a public hearing, residents can also submit public comments by mail or email. The address is: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, Planning Division-Environmental Branch (ATTN: Mr. Robert Smith) 26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York 10278-0090, or by email to: Project Biologist Robert.J.Smith@usace.army.mil and Project Manager Mark.f.Lulka@usace.army.mil.

Congressman Zeldin said, "In Congress, I have been fighting to secure the many victories coming to our district as a result of the FIMP project, which covers a distance of 83 miles, 80% of which is in the First Congressional District. This critical project, which has been a long time coming, will greatly improve our environment, economy and coastal way of life on Long Island's South Shore. I thank the Army Corps for extending the public comment period two weeks to allow South Fork residents to have more than 24 additional hours to comment after a public hearing. I also thank the Army Corps for their continued responsiveness and attention to detail in ensuring the priorities of my constituents receive the highest consideration. It is so important that the residents of the South Shore participate in the public comment period to ensure that their voices are heard and any requests are received."

On August 18, 2016, Congressman Lee Zeldin was joined by local elected officials and community leaders at Westhampton Beach Village Hall to discuss many of the key components of the Draft General Reevaluation Report, or GRR, which was released in July of 2016, and specifies which projects will be included in the next phase of the FIMP Project. You can watch the full press conference here.

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