Schumer, Alessi Call on Army Corps of Engineers to Initiate Erosion Study for North Shore of Long Island

Schumer, Alessi Call On Army Corps Of Engineers To Initiate Erosion Study For North Shore Of Long Island

Erosion on the North Shore Could Decimate Property, Halt Business and Paralyze Travel

ACOE Currently Mitigating Effects of Erosion on South Shore, Schumer Says ACOE Must Also Take Action along the Long Island Sound

Today Senator Charles E. Schumer and Assemblyman Marc Alessi called for the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to begin a much needed erosion study on the North Shore of Long Island as soon as possible. The ACOE is currently evaluating erosion on the South Shore of Long Island through the Fire Island to Montauk Reformulation Project, but Schumer and Alessi said today that the North Shore also demands immediate attention and action.

"Our shorelines on the North Shore are clearly threatened by erosion. If we take the steps needed right now to address this potential danger head-on, we won't risk jeopardizing the integrity of these shorelines and endangering residents of these communities," Schumer said. "If there was ever a time where a stitch in time saves nine, this is it."

"The Army Corps of Engineers has already proven itself capable in studying the serious erosion problems on the South Shore. Their expertise is something that would now be welcomed with open arms by North Shore residents," said Alessi. "We must, however, move forward with a sense of urgency, as this problem not only jeopardizes what makes Long Island beautiful and unique, it threatens overall quality of life for North Shore residents."

Several areas ranging from the Town of Brookhaven to the Town of Southold in Suffolk County are facing a significant threat of erosion. If this encroachment continues upon the region's homes and roadways, it could decimate property, halt business, and paralyze travel. While the ACOE has worked to mitigate serious erosion problems on the South Shore of Long Island, it is imperative that the ACOE also take action along the Long Island Sound. In a letter to Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock, Schumer and Alessi urged the Army Corps to immediately initiate a study and recommend curative measures in the areas within Brookhaven and Southold, as well as the entire North Shore from western Nassau County to Eastern Suffolk County.

In the Town of Southold, for example, residents living in Hashamomuck Cove along County Road 48 are experiencing considerable erosion. Their homes are the only barrier between the water and the road. Residents and business owners are concerned that with one major storm, this section of County Road 48 could be completely under water. As one of only two main arteries that service the East End of Long Island, its destruction would be devastating. In the Town of Brookhaven, residents along Shore Drive in Sound Beach face a similar danger that the Long Island Sound will engulf their homes.

In their letter, Schumer and Alessi wrote, "For the South Shore, the ACOE is nearly complete with a draft of its long-anticipated Fire Island to Montauk Reformulation Project. The North Shore desperately needs a comprehensive study of its own that will evaluate the problem in its entirety and recommend ways to nourish beaches and protect homes. Now more than ever, the homeowners and businesses along the North Shore are threatened with the spectre of the Long Island Sound further trespassing upon their property. Those who enjoy the area's beautiful beaches are seeing more sand disappear every year. Without this critical study, the community will risk escalating and imminent damage from major storms and erosion."

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=262905&&year=2006&