Public comment period open until September 25, 2014
NEW YORK – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) with Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (DFONSI) for the proposed Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project and the opening of a 30-day review period, in which the public can submit written comments.
With the passage of Public Law 113-2, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, the Army Corps has been provided the authority and funding to complete ongoing coastal storm damage risk management projects and studies in the Northeast, including the Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project. As part of the planning and implementation process, the New York District has studied short-term coastal storm risk management alternatives for the downtown Montauk area and updated prior engineering and design efforts, physical surveys, and environmental compliance in preparing the recently completed Draft Hurricane Sandy Limited Re-evaluation Report (HSLRR) for the proposed Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project.
The DEA and DFONSI, as well as the Draft HSLRR for the Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project and associated documents, are available on New York District’s web site at www.nan.usace.army.mil/FIMP
Public comments on DEA and DFONSI regarding this proposed work should be submitted to:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Planning Division-Environmental Branch (ATTN: Mr. Robert Smith)
26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York 10278-0090
Public comments can also be submitted by e-mail to Project Biologist Robert.J.Smith@usace.army.mil and Project Manager Frank.Verga@usace.army.mil.
Further instructions for submitting comments can be found in the Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment document on the District’s site. Comments received by September 25th regarding the DEA will assist in the agency’s evaluation of the project changes and will be reflected in the project record.
The Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project is a partnership between the Army Corps and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and has been closely coordinated with various other Federal, state and local partners.
The proposed Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project calls for the construction of a geotextile sandbag reinforced dune and berm in front of the downtown area of Montauk to manage the risks associated with coastal storms. It will involve the construction of a reinforced dune made of sand-filled geotextile bags with the top at an elevation of +13.5 feet NGVD with an additional +3 feet of sand cover making the entire reinforced dune +16.5 feet NGVD. The dune will slope seaward for 35 feet reaching an elevation of +9.5 feet NGVD, where a 45-foot-wide elevated berm will be constructed, maintaining that +9.5 feet NGVD elevation for its width until sloping into the sea. The construction will involve roughly 14,000 geotextile bags filled with sand, weighing approximately 1.7 tons each. The project will involve roughly 71,000 cubic yards of sand, 51,000 of which will be trucked to the project area.
The Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project is designed to be constructed to provide near-term coastal storm risk management while the Corps of Engineers completes the ongoing Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point Reformulation Study looking at long-term coastal storm risk management alternatives along the south shore of Suffolk County, including the Montauk area.
Several alternatives were analyzed in determining the most feasible coastal storm risk management alternative for the downtown Montauk area for this stabilization project. The selected plan was based on one of several alternatives presented to the public this past fall as being under study. The current geo-textile sandbag reinforced dune alternative was chosen taking into account both economic requirements limiting the scale of the project and local input, incorporating suggestions from the public and local officials.
Pending all required final approvals of the Downtown Montauk Hurricane Sandy Limited Re-evaluation Report and Environmental Assessment, and the signing of a Project Partnership Agreement with the DEC, the Corps expects to award a contract for the construction of the Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project this winter with construction to be completed before the next summer season.
This graphic shows a cross-section of the geotextile sandbag reinforced dune and berm proposed for construction along the shoreline in front of downtown Montauk as part of the Downtown Montauk Stabilization Project.