Letter to Administrator Fugate, Federal Emergency Management Agency - $10.1M in Federal Aid for Three Critical Capital Region Infrastructure Repair Projects

Letter

Dear Administrator Fugate,

I write in strong support of three Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications currently at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review. The following projects are essential to the communities involved and the protective measures proposed would have a tremendous impact in preventing future flooding and infrastructure damage as well as encouraging waterfront development:

· Seawall stabilization project for the City of Troy (Total cost of $9.03 million): The City of Troy's seawall is in dire need of repairs and without this critical funding poses a tremendous risk to the community and the Hudson River. Over the past 30 years increased ice flows, erosion, severe flooding during Tropical Storm Irene, and other natural elements have dramatically deteriorated the condition of the seawall. A pipe carrying raw sewage runs within 15 to 25 feet of the seawall and if the seawall is compromised it would risk a failure of that sewer line and potentially cause an environmental disaster in the Hudson River. Furthermore, the City of Troy is concurrently planning $27 million in construction along the waterfront to develop the area and provide more housing opportunities to a community experiencing an economic revitalization. A compromised seawall would hurt this development as well as threaten the foundations of nearby buildings. In addition to necessary repairs, the project would fund the encasement of the Seawall in corrugated steel to enhance its resilience.

· Protective measures for three water reservoirs in the Village of Cobleskill, NY as well as improvements to the village's water treatment plant (Total cost of $3.1 million): This project would put in place necessary mitigation measures to protect the water supply and reduce flooding in the Cobleskill Water System. The Cobleskill Water System includes three water surface reservoirs and this project would make improvements to the water-treatment plant and Dow Reservoir as well as dredge and repair Cobleskill's dam spillway.

· Demolition and removal of damaged retaining walls along Dove Creek in Amsterdam, NY (Total Cost of $1.5 million) : This project would prevent future flooding by demolishing and removing damaged retaining walls on Dove Creek and replace them with stackable concrete retaining walls. The City of Amsterdam has faced record floods in recent years, and the condition of its retaining walls has drastically deteriorated. If the effects of erosion and crumbling retaining walls were left unchecked, the City would experience further flooding and infrastructure problems down the road.

Given that the State of New York has given these projects top priority by being among the first projects submitted to FEMA for final review and approval, the significance of these projects and the effect they would have on mitigating future damage in New York's Capital Region is substantial. I urge you to approve them swiftly so that the work on these essential mitigation measures can commence.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.

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