Nassau Gets $71 Million Grant For Reynolds Channel, Western Bays

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — FEMA has awarded Nassau County $71.8 million to help fund the Western Bays Resiliency Project, which will replenish tidal wetlands to prevent flooding, sewage back-up and unhealthy environments in Reynolds Channel and the Western Bays.

The grant money was announced by Rep. Kathleen Rice and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. The money comes from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which gives funds to local governments to rebuild in ways that help prevent future disasters.

“With our climate changing and sea levels rising, Long Island faces the troubling reality of stronger and more frequent storms,” said Rice. “By repairing tidal wetlands, this project will both strengthen storm resiliency along our shores and improve water quality. I am pleased FEMA has awarded this federal grant, and I will continue to fight for federal funding in Congress to ensure we are prepared for when the next Superstorm Sandy hits.”

The Western Bays Resiliency Project aims to reduce the discharge of nitrogen into Reynolds Channel and the Western Bays from sewage processing plants in the area. Instead of pumping treated sewage water into the channel, the project will transfer water from the Bay Park Sewage Plant to the Cedar Creek water Pollution Control Plant using an already-existing aqueduct. From there, it will be pumped out into the ocean.

As the nitrogen dissipates from the waters of Reynolds Channel and the Western Bays, it will allow native plant and animal species to return and thrive, strengthening the wetlands that surround the South Shore. Healthy coastal wetlands act as a storm break, and will help reduce the impact of future storms.

"Revitalization of the Western Bays will not only improve our environment, but provide greater storm resiliency,” Curran said. “This significant investment in Nassau’s environment creates jobs, spurs economic development and protects homeowners by restoring the critical marshlands that serve as vital buffers during storms. I thank Congresswoman Rice for helping secure this important grant, which will be used to improve water quality and rejuvenate our environment for generations to come.”