Pallone Announces Funding for Shrewsbury River Dredging, Monmouth Beach Dune Creation

6/25/14

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that the Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $1.79 million contract to H&L Contracting LLC to dredge the Shrewsbury River which runs through Monmouth County, New Jersey. The project will entail removing 60,000 cubic yards of sand in order to keep the Shrewsbury River channel navigable. The contractor will place the dredged sand onto the oceanside beach in the Borough of Monmouth Beach.

Congressman Pallone also announced that Monmouth Beach, New Jersey will receive $1.78 million in federal funds provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resilience Grant Program, on behalf of the Department of the Interior, to create 6,400 feet of coastal dunes in the area. This allocation to Monmouth Beach is a portion of more than $102.7 million in federal grants for areas at risk from future storms. The town will use the material dredged from the Shrewsbury River project to create the dunes in Monmouth Beach.

“This is truly a win-win,” said Congressman Pallone. “The Shrewsbury River will have a better navigation channel for local boaters and the dredged material will be put to beneficial use to help Monmouth Beach create dunes that will protect the area from future storms. I am so pleased that we can move forward with both projects and that they will be completed in sync to benefit our community.”

Congressman Pallone sent a letter to the NFWF in January 2014 urging that this funding be granted to Monmouth Beach, which was significantly affected by Superstorm Sandy. The new dune system will provide resiliency against future storms and help with the rising sea levels. It will also provide an important habitat to various plants and wildlife, including several endangered species such as the Piping Plover, Least Tern and Black Skimmer.

Sand removal from the Shrewsbury River could begin as early as September 2014. The sand will be pumped onto the beach starting at approximately 0.23 miles north of Seacrest Road, proceeding southward as necessary to place the dredged sand. To do so, a discharge pipeline for a small hydraulic dredge will cross under Route 36 and over the existing seawall, continuing along the shoreline east of the seawall.

Pallone Recognizes Shannon Wedel of Monmouth Beach with Congressional Award Gold Medal

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) presented Shannon Wedel, of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, with the Congressional Award Gold Medal. The medal is given in recognition of the work Shannon has done to better her community and the goals she has set for her own personal development. The Congressional Award is the highest honor bestowed upon America’s youth. To earn the Award, recipients must set and achieve goals in the four program areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Congressman Pallone recognized Shannon’s achievements at the 2014 Gold Medal Award Ceremony held in the U.S. Capitol.

“I’m pleased to present Shannon with this Congressional Gold Medal today, and I commend her for her extraordinary service to our community, especially all her work helping people recover from Superstorm Sandy” said Congressman Pallone. “She is an outstanding young adult, and I am confident that her proven abilities to set goals and achieve them will lead to a very bright future. I also hope that Shannon’s service will inspire others to find ways to give back to the community as well. I wish Shannon all the best and know we will see great things from her in the years to come.”

To earn her Congressional Award Gold Medal, Shannon completed over 400 hours of voluntary public service by assisting at a local food bank, working with the Family Promise program for the homeless, and helping businesses and families recover in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. To complete the physical fitness requirement, Shannon was an active member of her high school dance team, performing at football and basketball games. She also hiked Haleakala Mountain in Hawaii to fulfill the exploration component.

Established in 1979, the Congressional Award was created by Congress to promote and recognize achievement, initiative, and service in America’s youth. The Congressional Award is open to all young people ages 14 to 23.

Pallone: Work Begins on Long Needed Beach Replenishment Project in Monmouth Beach

Long Branch, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) was joined by Monmouth Beach Mayor Susan Howard, Sea Bright Councilman Reed Murphy and Colonel Paul Owen, Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers New York District at the Monmouth Beach Bathing Pavilion to praise the progress of the beach replenishment project that has begun in Monmouth Beach and will proceed to Sea Bright. This work represents a portion of the larger Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment project covering a majority of the beaches from Sea Bright to Manasquan. Pallone fought for robust funding in the Sandy aid package passed by Congress, and over $100 million was allocated from that bill for this long needed project.

“The dredging equipment in Monmouth Beach today represents a great victory for our Jersey Shore beaches, which, for years, have desperately needed attention that was made worse by Sandy,” said Pallone. “Our beaches are a fundamental part of life here on the shore, both for residents to enjoy and also to drive tourism. From Sea Bright to Manasquan, we will reap the benefits of this investment in our beaches for years to come.”

"The Army Corps of Engineers is pleased to be carrying out this emergency beach repair and restoration work which will mitigate the impacts of future storms" said New York District Commander Col. Paul E. Owen. "This work in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach is the first part of a larger project that will restore beaches from Sea Bright to Manasquan. In addition to providing beach erosion control this work also helps the region heal from the impacts of Hurricane Sandy by restoring an important and central element to these coastal communities."

Pallone and the Army Corps of Engineers announced today further details regarding the timeline for the beach replenishment project which will be completed through four contracts. The contract for the Long Branch portion will be awarded in mid-August, and the contract for the Asbury to Avon portion will be awarded in early September. The contract for Belmar to Manasquan will be awarded this week. The Army Corps estimates that the entire undertaking will be complete by the beginning of next year.

In June, Pallone announced that the Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $25 million contract for the Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach portion to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC. The contractor will be using 2.5 million cubic yards of sand and must complete the project within 175 days after it starts.

The Sea Bright to Manasquan project is the largest beach nourishment project ever undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers and the world’s biggest beach-fill project, in terms of sand volume. Once completed, the greater protective barrier between the coastal communities and the ocean will reduce the

Pallone Announces Beach Replenishment Beginning in July for Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach

Long Branch, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the contract has been awarded to Great Lakes Dredging and Dock Company, LLC for the beach fill project in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach and that work will begin by the end of next month. The contractor will use 2.5 million cubic yards of sand and must complete the project within 175 days after it starts. This portion of the beach is part of a larger beach replenishment project from Sea Bright to Manasquan that will move forward in 3 additional phases.

“Unfortunately, Superstorm Sandy made the conditions of some of our beaches go from bad to worse, but once this project is complete, our beaches will be replenished and wider than they were even before the storm” said Congressman Pallone. “I have fought for these projects for years, and I’m pleased to finally see progress.”

"The Army Corps of Engineers is excited to award this contract for emergency beach replenishment in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach which will mitigate the impacts of future storms big and small," said New York District Commander Col. Paul E. Owen. "This contract is the first of four that will restore beaches from Sea Bright to Manasquan and we hope that in addition to providing beach erosion control and storm risk reduction that this work also help the region heal by restoring an important and central element to these coastal communities."

$102 million has been allocated to restore beaches from Sea Bright to Manasquan from the Sandy aid package, which Pallone fought to pass in Congress. The Army Corps of Engineers will complete this project through four contracts with this phase representing $25,590,800 worth of work. The remaining three contracts: Belmar to Manasquan, Long Branch, and Asbury to Avon will be awarded in July. The Army Corps of Engineers expects to complete the entire project by the beginning of next year.

Pallone Announces $1.3 Million Grant for Sea Bright Flood Mitigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MARCH 30, 2012

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that the town of Sea Bright in New Jersey’s sixth district was awarded a grant of $1.37 million to fund a bulkhead repair project. It was awarded thanks to a request submitted by Congressman Pallone to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

 Sea Bright is extremely flood-prone because it is narrow and bordered on the west side by the Shrewsbury River and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. These neighborhoods experience frequent flooding due to high tide events, storm events, or a combination of both.

 “I am pleased that Sea Bright will be receiving a grant to build and repair critical bulkheads,” said Pallone. “Chronic flooding has sadly become a regular occurrence in the lives of the residents and business-owners of these neighborhoods, and the bulkheads will go a long way to minimize flooding and protect the community.” 

The funding will go towards the installation of a new bulkhead at the foot of Beach Way, and to repair five bulkheads at the foot of River Street, South Street, Beach Street,Center Street and Osborne Place. The grant will also fund a submersible storm water pump at Osborne Place. 

Sea Bright was also recently awarded $12.3 million from the Army Corps of Engineers for a beach replenishment project, which will also benefit the neighboring borough of Monmouth Beach.

Pallone Announces $12.3 Million for Beach Replenishment in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012


Washington DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) announced Wednesday that $12.3 million will be awarded to fund beach replenishment in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach thanks to a request Congressman Pallone submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This funding will allow the Army Corps to begin replenishing the beaches in these towns in Fall 2012.

“This funding is vitally important for the Shore and I commend the Army Corps of Engineers for responding to my funding request for these projects,” said Pallone. “Beach replenishment projects make it possible for millions of people to enjoy the Jersey shore every summer, and come hurricane season, provide a protective barrier to beachfront communities.”

Last month the Army Corps of Engineers completed a contract that replenished a portion of the beach in Monmouth Beach that went forward due to funding secured by Pallone in 2011. The $12.3 million secured by Pallone in 2012 will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to complete the rest of Monmouth Beach and Sea Bright. Significant erosion has occurred in these areas over the last few years which can put homes and businesses in jeopardy when a storm hits the coast.

The money was approved as part of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations legislation passed in late December that funds the government through the end of the year. Pallone worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to request that funding be allocated to this project. The Army Corps of Engineers will begin the beach replenishment project later this year.

In addition to this beach replenishment project, Pallone also secured funding for a number of other projects in the 6th Congressional district. The South River Flood Control Project received $125,000, which will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to continue with the Preconstruction, Engineering and Design phase. The Shark River Inlet maintenance dredging project received $495,000, which will enable the Corps to dredge the river's inlet this year. The Sandy Hook Bay at Leonardo project will receive $127,710 for future maintenance dredging.

Pallone Announces Monmouth Beach Replenishment Scheduled to Begin

Long Branch, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. Monday announced the contract for Monmouth Beach replenishment has been awarded to Weeks Marine in the amount of $12,913,250. Work on beach replenishment is expected to begin by November.

"The wind and flooding during Hurricane Irene proved how important beach replenishment is to the communities that receive it,” said Pallone. “Beach replenishment protected the shore during the storm and as a result of storm damage this project is all the more necessary.”

Work on this project is possible due to Pallone’s requests for funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In May, Pallone announced $7.5 million for beach replenishment in Monmouth Beach. This $7.5 million is in addition to roughly $2.5 million that had been banked for this project through funding secured by Pallone in previous years. The last allocation of $7.5 million allowed the Army Corps to move forward with awarding a contract.

“Now the work can begin. This project will make a significant impact in the community,” Pallone added.

Tight budget constraints and an aversion to targeted funding for all projects nationwide were obstacles that Pallone overcame in fighting for New Jersey funds. The money was approved as part of the fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution that funded the government through the end of the year and was approved in April. This is the largest funding allocation to this project in recent years.

In addition to this beach replenishment project, the Army Corps of Engineers in May approved funding for three additional projects. The South River Flood Control Project was allocated $250,000, which will allow the Corps to continue with the Preconstruction, Engineering and Design phase. The Shark River maintenance dredging project was allocated $496,650 for maintenance dredging, which will enable the Corps to dredge the river's inlet this year. Also, $207,000 was allocated for the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bay, Highlands project, which will enable the Corps to complete the feasibility study.