Area counties to get $7.6M to aid in flood control

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July 14, 2012

Area counties to get $7.6M to aid in flood control

Anonymous Staff Report The Daily Star Sat Jul 14, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

Five area counties are set to receive more than $7.6 million for flood mitigation and flood-control grants from the state, according to a media release from the governor's office.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Friday that $9 million in flood mitigation and flood control grants will be awarded through the NY Works program, and $7 million will be provided for counties to meet their non-federal match requirements for stream restoration projects.

The funding will be directed toward 23 counties that were impacted by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Locally, Schoharie County will receive a $500,000 grant and more than $4.8 million in matching funds, the largest among the local awards.

Delaware and Greene counties will also receive $500,000 grants, with matching-fund awards of $173,462 and $378,222, respectively.

Otsego and Chenango counties will receive grants of $335,000 and $330,000, respectively. Otsego County will also receive $123,458 in matching funds; Chenango County will not receive any matching funds.

The Hurricane Irene-Tropical Storm Lee Flood Mitigation Grant Program was created by Cuomo as part of the Hurricane Irene—Tropical Storm Lee Flood Recovery Program in December.

DEC and Empire State Development reviewed the grant applications and ESD, in consultation with DEC, is administering the program.

Individual grants are statutorily capped at $500,000.

The grants were hailed by local elected officials, including Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, and Assemblyman Pete Lopez, R-Schoharie.

Delaware County Board Chairman James Eisel said that stream repair in his county has been "an enormous project."

"Every dollar will help us attain that goal," Eisel said in the release.

Schoharie County Board Chairman Harold Vroman said his county is facing the largest amount of Emergency Watershed Protection projects in the state, and that the county was facing "significant fiscal challenges" to match the federal funds being offered.

"The scars that Irene and Lee have left with Schoharie County will take years to heal," Vroman said in the release. "Thanks to the governor's announcement today, we now are further along path to recovery."