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GOVERNOR SPITZER ANNOUNCES $650,000 IN GRANTS FOR FLOOD MITIGATION
Flood Summit Convenes Stakeholders from Across the State to Discuss Mitigation Strategies
Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that New York State, through the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), will provide $650,000 to local governments for flood mitigation projects with strong educational and training components that address watershed management. The announcement was made by Michael Balboni, the administration’s Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, at the 2008 Flood Summit which convened today in Binghamton.
The Summit was proposed by Governor Spitzer to provide a forum for discussing a variety of issues associated with flooding, such as watershed management, state and local response activities and ways government can better protect our residents and property.
Over the last four years, New York has been struck by nine floods so serious that they were all declared major federal disasters. The cost of these events was staggering, with nearly $500 million spent for emergency response and repairs to the public infrastructure alone.
“Today’s summit brings together state and local officials, as well as other stakeholders, to develop a comprehensive strategy to address flooding across the state,” said Governor Spitzer. “With the funds made available today, State Emergency Management will enable local governments to help their communities mitigate, prepare for and respond to flooding.”
The grant program will be administered by SEMO. As in past grant rounds, SEMO will notify County Executives, County Emergency Managers, and County Hazard Mitigation Coordinators of the program details and deadlines; this information will also be available in notices placed in the New York State Register.
Applications for these mitigation funds will be evaluated based on their expected effectiveness at educating the public about mitigation programs and opportunities, training local officials and volunteers about measures and techniques proven to reduce the loss of lives and properties from disasters, and enhancing previous and current mitigation projects and activities.
Examples of eligible projects include:
Senator John Bonacic said: “We need a substantial state investment in flood prevention. There is simply no reason why we should spend millions of dollars on post-flood activity when we can invest monies more wisely in pre-flood mitigation. This funding is a good first step, but we will need a continuous investment in order to provide a permanent solution to prevent flood damage.”
Senator Thomas Libous said: “The floods of 2006 in the Southern Tier devastated people’s lives. Homes and businesses were destroyed. Millions of dollars were lost. But the resiliency of our community is overwhelming and has shown through the rehabilitation process. Hosting the Flood Summit here in Binghamton is a great opportunity for our community to show the entire state just how united and strong we truly are.”
Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said: “Last year, I worked with my colleagues in the Legislature to establish a flood caucus, and providing municipalities with additional assistance to help with education and training was one of the priorities we highlighted. We would like to thank Governor Spitzer for his commitment today and I will continue to work with my colleagues in both the Assembly and Senate to see if there are additional resources available as well.”
Assemblyman Kevin Cahill said: “A confluence of issues including climate change, development in environmentally sensitive areas and watershed management practices have left many communities throughout New York vulnerable to flooding. History as shown that we will never be able to make nature bend to our will, therefore it is critical that as a state we exhaust our efforts to educate and assist New Yorkers in taking the proper steps to prevent and mitigate risks to their health, safety and property while providing the resources necessary to quickly react and respond to future events.”
Assemblyman Clifford Crouch said: “It is important that we act prospectively on the issue of flooding. This will probably involve a change in the way we think and conduct business, but it is necessary to protect lives and property in the future. I am looking forward to the discussion by the local officials and my colleagues to put the ideas on the table to bring the issue of flood protection and mitigation to a new level.”
Broome County Executive Barbara Fiala said: “I want to thank Governor Spitzer for his continued support of Greater Binghamton in the wake of our devastating 2006 floods. He has been by our side from day one, even before he was elected New York’s Governor, and we appreciate all that he has done to come to the aid of our local flood victims. This Flood Summit is going to provide valuable information and the flood mitigation dollars are going to go a long way towards providing valuable assistance to our local governments that continue to make repairs and as they work to try to prevent future flooding.”
City of Binghamton Mayor Mathew Ryan said: “Governor Spitzer has shown he is committed to flood mitigation in the Southern Tier, and I applaud him for bringing all regional stakeholders to the table to further develop mitigation strategies.”
Deputy Secretary Michael Balboni said: “It is vital that federal, state and local officials work together to address the problem of persistent flooding. We've taken an important fist step by providing a forum for the issues to be discussed in a comprehensive way. The communities who have experienced nature's fury first-hand are a wonderful resource as we craft solutions moving forward.”
Over 150 attendees from around the state are expected to attend the Summit. Representatives from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition are scheduled to discuss watershed management topics such as stream maintenance, streambank stabilization and permitting. Representatives from the National Weather Service and the Steuben County Office of Emergency Management plan to discuss river and stream monitoring systems, and alert and notification. A third panel comprised of representatives from DEC, the State Police, the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, SEMO and the Broome County Office of Emergency Services will explore search and rescue issues.
The entire summit will be webcast over the SEMO website at www.semo.state.ny.us.