Advocates Say Federal Coastal Resiliency Plan Overlooks the South Bronx
Mott Haven Herald
By: Dashiell Allen
Environmental justice advocates say a massive federal plan to protect New York City from coastal flooding puts the South Bronx in the back seat, and fails to address existing environmental inequalities.
Flood walls are proposed along the Bronx side of the Harlem River. Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the final days of collecting comments for its $52 billion New York & New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study, which proposes a variety of measures, including building seawalls and elevated promenades, to prevent coastal flooding similar to what the region experienced during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The study, authorized by Congress, is in its initial stages and any finalized proposal likely won’t be built until at least 2044. Still, it has the potential to radically change the shape of New York City’s coastlines and has raised concerns about furthering existing environmental injustices.
