Congressman Announces Funding for Forge River Cleanup (USA)

Congressman Tim Bishop announced he has secured federal funds through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for a number of important Suffolk County projects, including $400,000 for the ongoing Forge River Watershed Study, $172,000 for the Lake Montauk Harbor Feasibility Study, and $1.1 million for the ongoing Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) Reformulation project. These funds are in addition to the $1.15 million he secured for an emergency dredge of Lake Montauk Harbor, two years ahead of schedule.

“Our way of life on Long Island relies on navigable waterways and healthy marine environments,” said Tim Bishop. “These funds will continue the progress we’ve made to clean up the Forge River, secure future prosperity for the port of Montauk, and protect our south shore coastline.”

• $400,000 for the Forge River Watershed Feasibility Study will continue the ongoing effort to determine the most effective strategy for improving water quality in the Forge, a necessary step to getting federal funds for a cleanup plan. The Forge has been classified by the NYSDEC as an impaired waterway. This is an important step forward in the community effort to save the Forge River, which began when local residents noticed dead fish and increasing odors indicating a potential health risk. Congressman Bishop passed legislation to authorize an Army Corps Reconnaissance Report, completed in September 2008, which determined that there is Federal interest in preserving the Forge. That allowed federal, state, and local agencies to begin the ongoing Feasibility Study, which has an estimated cost of $3 million to be shared by federal and local government.

• $172,000 for the Lake Montauk Harbor Study will support the ongoing effort to plan for the future maintenance and infrastructure needs of the Harbor, which is New York State’s main commercial fishing port. The study will determine if the harbor can be deepened in the future and allow for better use of the dredge spoil from future Lake Montauk dredges to protect the eroding beach to the immediate west of the inlet.

• $1.1 million for the Fire Island to Montauk Point Reformulation Study, which is part of a long-term process to help protect the South Shore of Long Island from coastal erosion, flooding and hurricanes. For instance, in the Fire Island section of the FIMP project, the goal is to maintain Fire Island as a barrier island to lower the risk of flooding in low-lying mainland communities, such as Patchogue and the Tri-Hamlet area. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Congressman Bishop has advocated completion of the FIMP Reformulation Study since he was elected to Congress. Working together with Congressmen Steve Israel and Peter King, along with Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Bishop has secured millions of dollars for the Study in recent years.

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Source: timbishop, May 25, 2011;