In a continued effort to rebuild a stronger New Jersey in the wake of Superstorm Sandy's destruction, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today submitted a letter to Governor Christie urging him to prioritize federal funding for flood mitigation projects in northern New Jersey.  The letter stresses the need to fund projects on the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers to help mitigate future flooding.

"Northern New Jersey has seen its share of devastation in recent years. During Hurricane Sandy, the towns of Little Ferry and Moonachie were nearly completely flooded due to a violent storm surge up the Hackensack River," Rep. Pascrell wrote to Gov. Christie. "We must explore all options for mitigation along the banks of the Hackensack, and I urge you to work closely with the leadership of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, as well as local elected officials, to seek out mitigation options for the river. Additionally, I would strongly urge you to prioritize federal funding for existing flood control projects and investigations in the Passaic River Basin."

The full text of the letter follows:

December 12, 2012

Dear Governor Christie:

I want to thank you for the leadership you have shown on behalf of all New Jerseysans in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters to hit our state in its history. Hurricane Sandy devastated much of the New Jersey coast as well as several towns in my district along the Hackensack River. I commend you for your steadfast efforts to help us in Congress deliver the aid we will need not only to recover from this storm, but to rebuild stronger than we were before.

To that end, I was quite pleased to see that your disaster request, and the President’s subsequent supplemental emergency appropriations request, includes considerable funding for prevention and mitigation of future disasters. It is not simply enough that we rebuild the damage Sandy has caused, but that we adequately prepare for the storms that will undoubtedly affect our region in the years to come. You can count on me to fight in Congress to ensure that this supplemental funding package is passed and that New Jersey receives the resources it needs.

Northern New Jersey has seen its share of devastation in recent years. During Hurricane Sandy, the towns of Little Ferry and Moonachie were nearly completely flooded due to a violent storm surge up the Hackensack River. We must explore all options for mitigation along the banks of the Hackensack, and I urge you to work closely with the leadership of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, as well as local elected officials, to seek out mitigation options for the river. The Army Corps of Engineers is authorized to perform flood control modeling in areas of the Meadowlands, and I urge you to help direct federal disaster relief funding made available to the Corps to a comprehensive study of this region. Other options, such as federal funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program should also be explored as options to raise and widen berms in the area that were overtopped by Sandy.

Additionally, I would strongly urge you to prioritize federal funding for existing flood control projects and investigations in the Passaic River Basin. While towns along the Passaic River Basin were thankfully spared the worst during Sandy, they have historically been the most disaster prone regions of our state, as you saw yourself when you visited the area after Hurricane Irene. The ongoing Army Corps of Engineers investigations in the region, including the Passaic River Basing General Re-evaluation Study and the Peckman River Basin Feasibility Study, should be accelerated. They are worthy mitigation projects that will substantially decrease the risk of flooding in New Jersey as a result of natural disasters, and I strongly urge you to seek federal disaster relief funding for these projects as you develop the state’s prevention and mitigation priorities in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Again, thank you for your leadership on this critical issue and I look forward to continue to work with you and the rest of our Congressional delegation in a bipartisan manner to ensure that New Jersey recovers and rebuilds from this disaster.

Sincerely,

Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Member of Congress

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