WASHINGTON, DC (WKBW) — U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have called on the Army Corps of Engineers to approve pending shoreline protection projects following record-high Lake Ontario water levels.
The two specific projects Schumer and Gillibrand are calling on the Army Corps for are to approve the cost-sharing agreement for a project in Youngstown to help prevent erosion at Fort Niagara State Park and to initiate a new emergency flood protection project for the Town of Greece.
According to a release, once the cost-sharing agreement is approved for the Youngstown project a feasibility study can begin for the project to protect the seawall and historic structures of Old Fort Niagara.
“The severe flooding of Lake Ontario, for the second time in three years, is a situation that demands a swift and comprehensive response from all levels of government. The impacted communities just can’t afford to continue suffering from the millions in damages this far-too-frequent flooding causes, and need both immediate support and their infrastructure shored up for the long-term future. That’s why I’m calling on the Army Corps of Engineers to both begin constructing emergency flood protection measures on Edgemere Drive in the Town of Greece immediately, and sign the pending agreement to move forward on erosion-resiliency boosting measures at Fort Niagara State Park. As the water levels continue to rise, these two essential projects can’t afford to be held up by bureaucratic red tape and delay, because the threat of further damage is just too high.”
Senator Schumer
