Leaders sound alarm on beach erosion “crisis,” want Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate action
By Carolyn Gusoff
Click here for updates on this story
BABYLON, New York (WCBS) — As another coastal storm looms, Long Island officials are urgently calling on the federal government to shore-up ocean beaches to prevent erosion that threatens recreational facilities.
Babylon officials said Friday the town has lost than 500 feet of beachfront since 2014, even though they trucked in 100 million cubic yards of sand.
There were bipartisan calls from leaders across the South Shore for the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately address what they call a “real crisis.”
The Army Corps has several sand replenishment projects underway, but they skip parts of Islip, Babylon and Oyster Bay ocean beaches, where officials say they need immediate and long-term fixes.
“I can’t say it any better than we’re at DEFCON 5, red alert. We need all the help that we can get from our state and federal partners,” said Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer.
“We’re tired of hearing, ‘Well, we have to do another study and another project.’ We’re losing our beaches. We need the help right now,” said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino.
Officials said beach pavilions, while not currently in jeopardy, could be undermined unless there’s a long-term fix. They’re asking for regular sand replenishment and jetties.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is also calling on the Army Corps of Engineers to urgently reconsider emergency assistance, which the agency said it’s doing.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
