Goldfeder Pushes DEC To Speed Sandy Recovery

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Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder is telling the NYS Department of Environmental Conversation (DEC) to hurry up. Goldfeder is urging the agency to fast-track the permit process so that Sandy-impacted families can get back in their homes and the peninsula can get the protection that’s needed.

Goldfeder urged the DEC to expedite all permit applications related to Sandy recovery for individual homeowners in Broad Channel and Howard Beach as well as community-wide infrastructure and mitigation projects, including the baffle walls and boardwalk in Rockaway.

“We need to protect our most vulnerable communities immediately to ensure a full recovery for all residents," Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder said. “Our families are working around the clock to recover and rebuild from Sandy and every agency on every level of government must do the same.”

Many families that are trying to rebuild their homes are waiting on approval for permits from many agencies; including the NYS DEC. Protection projects like baffle walls and the boardwalk are also subject to State DEC approval.

“We need NYS DEC to expedite all permitting for our boardwalk, especially the retaining wall that will act as a protective barrier and help in mitigation efforts to prepare our community for future storms,” John Cori, cofounder of the Friends of Rockaway Beach said in a press release.

Goldfeder sent a letter to NYS DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens on Wednesday, asking him to work quickly with NYC Department of Buildings, the Parks Department and NYC Economic Development Corp. to review and approve all permits related to homes and infrastructure projects in the Sandy-damaged communities of southern Queens and Rockaway.

“Our families have been through enough suffering and there is no excuse for even a moment’s delay,” Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder said. “I strongly urge NYS DEC to expedite the permit process to rebuild our homes and community, which would not only provide relief for our families, but it will also ensure that our neighborhoods in southern Queens and Rockaway are adequately prepared for future storms.
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