By Long Island Life and Politics
A $52 million contract was awarded on August 5 to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company of Houston, Texas, for the work necessary to protect Long Island’s South Shore communities. As part of the federally funded contract, the company will perform emergency repairs to a damaged coastline on Fire Island.
“The safety of New Yorkers is one of my top priorities, especially communities vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather driven by climate change,” Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said. “With increasingly frequent and extreme storms, New York is meeting the challenge head on to protect homes and infrastructure.”
“This puts us on track to begin the construction phase of the emergency coastal repairs on Fire Island this year,” said Alex Young, the New York district commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) said, “Today’s $52 million contract award brings us another step closer to restoring the dunes on Fire Island to protect its communities and ensure the integrity of the island, a barrier that protects Long Island’s densely populated South Shore. After the storms, I worked my flip phone to secure these critical emergency repairs on Fire Island.”
“I am thrilled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded this contract to address the extensive damages that eastern Fire Island communities have experienced over the past year,” added U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D). “This is a momentous step toward delivering critical repairs to the Fire Island community and coastline. Restoring the South Shore of Long Island remains one of my top priorities, and I will keep fighting to help secure the federal assistance communities need.”
Extreme weather events starting in September 2023 with Hurricane Lee and Tropical Storm Ophelia, followed by significant coastal storms from November 2023 through January 2024, presented a cumulative impact that eroded large sections of beach berm and dunes that are part of the Fire Island Inlet to Moriches Inlet (FIMI) project, resulting in damages to infrastructure and properties on Fire Island from the Ocean Bay Park community east to Davis Park.
In response to the damage, in December 2023 Governor Hochul formally requested expedited approval of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for emergency rehabilitation assistance for the Corps’ FIMI project along eastern Fire Island in Suffolk County. The request was supported by Suffolk County, DEC’s local sponsor for the FIMI project, who provided extensive documentation of the storm damage. New York’s requests initiated a process under the federal PL 84-99 program, that allows the Army Corps to deploy significant repair funds to fix projects damaged by storms determined to constitute an extraordinary weather event. In April of 2024, the Corps approved this project for PL 84-99 funds and initiated the process to undertake the repairs.
The Corps then expedited physical inspections, completed surveys, performed engineering and design work, worked to create an agency collaboration workgroup to advance cooperation on regulatory permitting and enhance communications, and met on numerous occasions with local stakeholders. Corps leadership, DEC expert staff, and other key stakeholders, traveled to Fire Island communities on multiple occasions to engage with local residents to address concerns. These efforts helped secure local support and allowed the project to move forward.
“Suffolk County’s barrier beaches are critical to protecting the mainland and providing an economic engine for our region,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) said.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York State is working with our local, state, and federal partners, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New York’s Congressional delegation, to advance post-storm recovery and prepare for future climate-driven extreme weather and flooding. The emergency repair contract award announced today advances expedited construction to protect Fire Island communities.”
This project also marks the first time the New York District of the Army Corps has implemented a project labor agreement (PLA) for the dredging and sand placement activities. The PLA ensures that the project will be completed efficiently, with a skilled workforce and in compliance with fair labor practices.
