Long Island leaders sound alarm on beach erosion "crisis," want Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate action
BABYLON, N.Y. -- As another coastal storm looms, Long Island officials are urgently calling on the federal government to shore-up ocean beaches to prevent erosion that threatens recreational facilities.
The playground at Babylon's Overlook Beach has never been closer to the ocean. It hasn't moved, the shoreline has in storm after storm.
Town officials said Friday the whole beach facility is in danger of being erased.
"I can't say it any better than we're at DEFCON 5, red alert. We need all the help that we can get from our state and federal partners," said Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer.
Officials said Babylon has lost than 500 feet of beachfront since 2014, even though they trucked in 100 million cubic yards of sand.
There were bipartisan calls from leaders across the South Shore for the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately address what they call a "real crisis."
"It's startling to know that the definition of the Army Corps of Engineers doesn't consider this emergency," said Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey.
The Army Corps has several sand replenishment projects underway, but they skip parts of Islip, Babylon and Oyster Bay ocean beaches, where officials say they need immediate and long-term fixes.
Not all beaches qualified after Superstorm Sandy.
Leaders called it a patchwork approach.
"We're tired of hearing, 'Well, we have to do another study and another project.' We're losing our beaches. We need the help right now," said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino.
Saladino showed CBS New York dunes at Tobay Beach that drastically diminished. The integrity of the beach pavilion is also in jeopardy.
"All this sand is removed. This was four or five feet higher, and if these dunes go then the highway goes," he said. "The waves are breaking under the pavilion."
Officials called for more regular dredging.
An Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson said projects are usually on a 3-4 year schedule and have to be half-funded by municipalities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has made the request for emergency assistance.
Late last year, the Army Corps of Engineers rejected requests to expand its sand replenishment programs here. The agency said it's now reconsidering.