Suffolk Reporter

Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino of New York's 2nd Congressional District has expressed his approval following the House's passage of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The act includes several important provisions aimed at enhancing flood risk management, storm damage prevention, and coastal restoration for Long Island's South Shore. These measures were advocated by Rep. Garbarino and are set to benefit towns such as Oyster Bay, Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven.

A significant change included in WRDA is the adjustment concerning the Fire Island National Seashore and waterfront hamlets. This amendment lowers the threshold for emergency shore restoration projects, enabling federally authorized repair or restoration efforts to receive between 80-100% federal funding after severe storms like Nor’easters. Such a provision is intended to facilitate the restoration of public beaches and essential storm damage reduction structures crucial for protecting coastal communities on Long Island.

Rep. Garbarino remarked, "This is a big win for Long Island," emphasizing that the legislation addresses longstanding vulnerabilities of coastal communities due to increasing storm frequency and severity. He added that these measures fulfill his promise to provide meaningful solutions for his district by safeguarding homes, infrastructure, and natural resources.

The WRDA 2024 highlights specific inclusions for NY-02:

- Emergency Restoration: It reduces thresholds for restoring hurricane and storm damage reduction structures or public beaches affected by Nor’easters within designated areas including Fire Island National Seashore and various hamlets such as Massapequa Park, Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, West Babylon, among others.

- Flood Risk Management Projects: Feasibility studies are authorized in Babylon for flood risk management and ecosystem restoration; Brookhaven for similar projects; Islip focusing on flood risk management; Oyster Bay addressing coastal storm risk near Tobay Beach.

In January earlier this year, Rep. Garbarino testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advocating for proposals aimed at protecting Long Island's shoreline from erosion caused by storm damage. His proposed provisions were incorporated into the final package approved by the House on December 10, 2024.

With WRDA enacted, feasibility studies will be conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Oyster Bay, Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven to develop sustainable long-term solutions addressing coastal challenges faced by Long Island.

Rep. Garbarino’s leadership played a key role in securing these provisions which highlight his commitment to achieving tangible outcomes for his district while ensuring resilience against coastal threats faced by Long Island.