Letter to Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior - Fully Fund And Execute Phase Two Remedial Efforts At Remaining 237 Acres Of Park So Clean Up Can Finish On Schedule
Letter
Dear Secretary Zinke:
I write in support of robust funding for the continuation of a critical remediation project located in the Great Kills Park section of Gateway National Recreation Area. Great Kills Park has not been completely open to the public for years while the extent of prior contamination has been studied and remediated. I applaud the Department of Interior's (DOI) commitment to this important project over the years and I urge you to swiftly approve full funding of the park's FY 2018 request, so the next step in the Remedial Investigation can commence.
As you know, Gateway National Recreation Area is a critically important outdoor space for New Yorkers seeking to enjoy activities ranging from trail running, going to the beach to fishing. Over the years, funding allocated by DOI has been crucial to beginning to understand and remediate contamination across this section of the park. Recently, the Remedial Investigation of Operable Unit 1 was completed, and a Draft Final report was filed in June of this year. I applaud the work of NPS to expedite this section, which overlaps with the critical Army Corps of Engineers South Shore of Staten Island Coast Storm Risk Management project. This means that the park is ready to move onto the Remedial Investigation 2, which encompasses the remaining part of Great Kills Park. I urge you to quickly deploy the appropriate resources to ensure that this remediation investigation can remain on schedule, which will allow the contamination of the park to be better understood and subsequently remediated and opened to the public as soon as possible.
I understand that in the current fiscal climate budgets are constrained and, as in the past, I will stand with the National Park Service during the budget process and fight for adequate resources. However, I ask that you fully fund Gateway National Recreation Area's FY18 request so that this important remediation study can begin as soon as possible and remain on schedule. I look forward to working with you on this important request.
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