Feds to pay for Sandy-damaged beaches in NY area

Rockaway Beach Boulevard after Hurricane Sandy
Rockaway Beach Boulevard after Hurricane Sandy

The federal government will cover the full cost of four rebuilding projects along the New York City and Long Island coast that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy, the New York Daily News reported.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to cover 100 percent of the cost of restoration projects on Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, Long Beach Island and Fire Island, which are estimated to cost more than $1 billion collectively, according to an interim report obtained by the Daily News.

Though the report is not finalized, a congressional aide told the paper that the decision to fully cover the cost of the projects was final.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York told the Daily News that the funding “basically ensures they get built rather than making it a maybe proposition, and it benefits city taxpayers. I spent a month-and-a-half on this.”

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U.S. House Reps. Pete King, Carolyn McCarthy and Tim Bishop, all of Long Island, also pushed the Office of Management and Budget and the Army Corps on the matter.

“I continue to make every effort to ensure that Nassau and Suffolk counties receive the maximum amount of Sandy funding possible,” King told the Daily News.

In other Hurricane Sandy news, New York state officials are making $171 million available for buyouts for homeowners wishing to leave their Sandy-damaged homes, as previously reported. [NYDN] –Hayley Kaplan