Written by John Liscomb, Riverkeeper

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering six plans to protect New York and New Jersey from coastal storm damage. Several of the plans in its New York – New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries (NYNJHAT) Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study call for construction of massive, in-water barriers that would damage the Hudson River Estuary.

Riverkeeper, along with Save the Sound and NY-NJ Baykeeper,  has been leading the charge against barriers in the New York Harbor, which would choke off the Hudson River estuary where it meets the ocean — restricting tidal flow, blocking the migration of fish, and trapping sediment and contaminants. With gates to allow passage of ships, the barriers would do nothing to protect against inevitable flooding from sea-level rise.

Only one of the Army Corps’ proposals, which calls for shoreline-based measures such as dunes, dikes, and levees, is even worth considering. Shoreline-based measures are the only structures that will protect New York City and other communities against both storm surge and sea-level rise flooding — while leaving our rivers to run free.

The plan selection process is moving forward with scant public notice and participation. The Corps has opened a 40-day public comment period, through November 5, to consider the range or “scope” of issues it should study in its environmental review.

This is a ridiculously short window of time, given that the project affects 2,150 square miles, including New York City and northern New Jersey, western Connecticut and both shores of the Hudson River up to the city of Troy.

The Army Corps has said it will narrow down the six alternatives to one or two by the fall of 2018 — without a thorough review of the environmental impacts of each plan.  

“Scoping” comments are your opportunity to ask the Corps to perform specific scientific studies evaluating environmental and other impacts, describe your personal relationship to the river, and ask how its beauty, its fish, the tides and other qualities could be affected by these plans.

The Corps acknowledges that it will narrow down the options based on cost alone – without evaluating environmental impacts. Be sure to request that environmental studies be done before any plan is advanced.