After Significant Push, Schumer Announces USDA to Award $7.5 Million to Fund Bluebelt Expansion om Staten Island; Project Will Restore the West Branch of the New Creek & Provide Flood Mitigation Measures for Homeowners in Midland Beach

Press Release

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that, after his significant push, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has agreed to provide $7.5 million to fund the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) plans to expand the Staten Island Bluebelt. New York City applied for funding created in the Schumer-sponsored Sandy Relief Bill through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) under the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Bluebelt provides a storm water management system for one-third of Staten Island and is strongly supported by elected officials and community groups. Hurricane Sandy's flooding devastated areas of Staten Island and an expansion of the Bluebelt is needed to control future flooding and to provide the basis for future flood mitigation projects. In September, Schumer wrote a letter to the USDA in support of the Bluebelt's extension, also known as the New Creek West Branch restoration project, and Schumer has urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to fund the project in subsequent conversations.

"I am pleased the USDA has heeded my call and awarded the funds to the City so we can get the Staten Island Bluebelt expansion into high gear," said Schumer. "The tremendous damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy to both inland and shoreline areas in Staten Island made it crystal clear that we need to enhance our flood mitigation and sewer capacity measures throughout the borough, and this is a project that will do just that. It is exactly the type of undertaking we had in mind when we chose to incorporate the EWP program in the Sandy Relief Bill and, now that we are able to expand this environmentally beneficial approach into Midland Beach, we are making sure that even more residents in the borough are protected from future storms and terrible flooding."

"Expanding the bluebelts in Staten Island is a vital step to protecting residents from flood risks and is part of Mayor Bloomberg's plan to protect New York City from future storms", said Daniel Zarrilli, NYC's Director of Resiliency. "We thank Senator Schumer for his support in helping to build a stronger, more resilient New York."

The Staten Island Bluebelt provides ecologically sound and efficient stormwater management for roughly one-third of Staten Island's land area. The program preserves and enhances wetland stream corridors to convey and cleanse stormwater while conventional storm sewers transmit to the corridors stormwater from streets in watershed areas, tributary to the Bluebelt corridors. Bluebelt drainage systems are in the process of being built out on the South Shore of Staten Island in 15 watersheds plus the Richmond Creek watershed, amounting to a total watershed area of about 10,000 acres. The proposed project will expand this already large Bluebelt drainage system, which relies on flood control utilizing natural areas, to new neighborhoods that desperately need it.

Superstorm Sandy revealed how vulnerable Staten Island's low-lying areas are to powerful storms. Homeowners in South Beach, Midland Beach, Ocean Breeze and Oakland Beach were all seriously impacted by the storm.

New York City's New Creek West Branch project will address wetland rehabilitation and flood management in an area that is prone to chronic street and property flooding in Midland Beach. Approximately 80 percent of streets in and around the project area regularly flood as they currently do not have storm sewers. At the present time rain water runs off streets, roof tops and other impervious surfaces and collects in low lying areas because there is no outlet for the water since the West Branch of New Creek is filled with sediment, meaning it cannot convey stormwater runoff. The project will open up the West Branch wetland system thereby reducing chronic flooding and allowing the low-lying area surrounding it to drain more rapidly after a storm. The proposal will direct rain water to the Bluebelt's constructed wetlands which are designed with natural hydrology in mind and with measures that prevent large amounts of sediment from again clogging the waterways. The project will restore an original stream that has become almost entirely silted in and provide a healthy and diverse riparian habitat. The applications are submitted with a scope of work and the USDA estimates the cost and funds based on the application.

The Emergency Watershed Protection Program was established by Congress to respond to emergencies created by natural disasters, such as Superstorm Sandy. The program is administered through the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

Senator Schumer fought to include $180 million for EWP projects in the Sandy Supplemental, of which $124 million has been allocated for flood plain easement projects like the restoration of the West Branch of the New Creek. The program aims to restore and build floodplains, which store water, helping to protect lands downstream from future flood damage. Restoring these ecosystems ensures they are resilient to future storms. NRCS obtains easements and restores the area to natural conditions, which enhances fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, flood water retention and ground water recharge.

Schumer wrote to the USDA in September in support of the DEP's Bluebelt extension. Schumer urged the USDA to support and commit to maximum funding for the project, which it now has announced it will do.

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