Army Corps Contract Helps Fulfill Governor Hochul’s Request for “Extreme Storm” Determination and Multi-Agency Collaboration Team Efforts

Project Marks the First Project Labor Agreement Implemented by the Army Corps’ New York District

Governor Kathy Hochul, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Aug 5th, announced the award of a federally funded contract for emergency repairs to a damaged coastal storm risk management project on Fire Island in Suffolk County. 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.

“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 Hochul said. "With increasingly frequent and extreme storms, New York is meeting the challenge head on to protect homes and infrastructure. I applaud the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its expedited response to funding these emergency repairs and for ensuring construction will be led by a skilled workforce working under fair labor practices."

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York District Commander Colonel Alex Young said, “USACE is excited to announce this contract award. This puts us on track to begin the construction phase of the emergency coastal repairs on Fire Island this year. I would like to thank the many federal, state and local elected officials for the incredible support we have had as we’ve moved quickly to bring this project into construction. I also want to thank all our partners from the Department of Interior, to National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Department of State, Suffolk County and Town of Brookhaven who came together to form the Multi-Agency Collaboration Team that was instrumental in working through many challenges that helped us achieve this expedited contract award.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer 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, and I applaud the Corps, Senator Gillibrand, and Governor Hochul for working with me to get this done. Thank Brigadier General Lloyd, Colonel Young and his team at the Corps for their work with us and the state and will continue to advocate for continued help across Suffolk as it relates to this storm damage.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “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. This is a momentous step toward delivering critical repairs to the Fire Island community and coastline and I am proud to have worked alongside Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer to secure these emergency repairs. 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 Executive Ed Romaine Said, “Suffolk County’s barrier beaches are critical to protecting the mainland and providing an economic engine for our region. I thank Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Schumer, and Senator Gillibrand for their partnership as we work together to harden our coastlines against future storms.”

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 on Aug 5th, advances expedited construction to protect Fire Island communities, and DEC is thankful to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for coordinating this multi-agency collaborative effort.”

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.

On Aug 5th’s announcement complement’s Governor Hochul’s commitment to restoring New York coastal shorelines, including the recently announced funding to support rehabilitation and flood prevention in Long Island and almost $300 million for communities experiencing the wide-ranging negative impacts of our changing climate by ?advancing resiliency initiatives and investments.

Governor Hochul’s Comprehensive Resiliency Plan to Protect New Yorkers

Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive resiliency plan to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather as part of her 2024 State of the State. Highlights include:

• Launching the ‘Resilient & Ready’ Program?to establish a flexible fund to support resiliency efforts for low- and moderate-income homeowners ahead of future storms. The program will enable State Homes and Community Renewal to assist households that experience flood damage to make necessary repairs in the aftermath of storms and will cover the cost of proactive flood mitigation improvements.
• Introducing the Blue Buffers Voluntary Buyout Program, with $250 million including in the 2024-25 FY Enacted Budget to encourage buyouts in communities most vulnerable to flooding. The program will prioritize outreach and education first and then begin identifying voluntary projects based on the level of flood risk, ensuring we protect our communities that are most vulnerable to high water and storm surges.
• Making major investments in statewide disaster response?to put more boots on the ground, improve training and preparedness, and address evolving threats as they come.
• Updating Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) Maps, which are essential to protect beaches, dunes, and bluffs that maintain and enhance flood resilience, so communities and permit applicants can quickly determine if a property is within a CEHA.

These investments and initiatives also complement other ongoing State efforts including the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 that funds projects to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. Disadvantaged communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. For more information about the Bond Act, go to ?www.ny.gov/BondAct.