U.S. Congresswomen Grace Meng and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, announced on Jan. 7 that President Joe Biden has signed their legislation into law to address severe flooding in Queens.
The measure aims to mitigate future disasters like those caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021, which inundated the borough with record-shattering rainfall.
President Biden visited East Elmhurst less than a week after the storm, which claimed 13 lives across New York City. The flooding devastated homes, businesses, and infrastructure, leaving Queens among the hardest-hit areas.
“Borough residents have not forgotten the devastation that Queens endured from Hurricane Ida and other heavy rainfall, and the threat of more floodwaters gushing down local streets and into homes and businesses will continue unless we act to protect our communities,” Meng said. “Hurricane Ida killed several of my constituents and caused extensive damage to my congressional district, and I saw firsthand the devastating effect that the storm had on the area.”
Biden signed the legislation as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, a key bill passed by Congress last month that funds water infrastructure projects around the country. In Queens, it authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) — in working with New York City — to spend nearly $190 million to enhance and upgrade environmental infrastructure in the borough, such as improving water and wastewater infrastructure, stormwater management, and combined sewer overflows.
“Lives and property cannot be put at risk,” Meng said. “Mitigating this type of dangerous and widespread flooding remains a top priority of mine, and I’m proud to keep up the fight for the upgrades that Queens needs and deserves.”
The bill was enacted after lawmakers passed legislation into law last year, authorizing ACE to spend $120 million on similar flood mitigation projects in Queens.
“Year after year, families in Queens face the deadly consequences of outdated infrastructure when storms hit,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We saw the devastation of Hurricane Ida, which tragically took 13 lives, and we know that climate change is only going to make these risks worse. This will allow us to take this issue head-on and protect our beautiful community from extensive damage.”
She added that they negotiated an increase of nearly $70 million more to address the urgent problem. Schumer noted that the extra funding was necessary to combat future flooding in Queens like the widespread inundation experienced during Hurricane Ida that caused immense damage to roads, businesses and homes.
“I’ve worked hard with Representatives Meng and Ocasio-Cortez to secure more critical federal support for the Army Corps of Engineers to develop ways to minimize flooding from heavy rain events and to upgrade the city’s water and sewer systems,” Schumer said.
New York’s junior senator announced last month that she had secured $25 million for water and wastewater infrastructure, including stormwater management in Newtown Creek, under the Water Resources Development Act. Senator Kristen Gillibrand says this includes technical, planning, design assistance and/or construction for wastewater treatment and related facilities and water supply , storage, treatment and distribution facilities.
For generations, Newtown Creek has been one of the most polluted waterways in America,” Gillibrand said. “While we have done so much to restore the health of the creek — including a Superfund site designation to hold polluters accountable — there is still so much to do.”
The 3.8-mile-long body of water empties into the East River and divides Long Island City and Maspeth from Brooklyn. Up until the latter part of the 20th Century, industries along the banks of the creek dumped unwanted byproducts into its waters, including a massive underground oil spill. In more recent years, remediation has brought marine life back to the creek after President Obama designated it a Superfund site in 2010.
“I am proud to have fought for a $25 million authorization for water and wastewater infrastructure,” Gillibrand said. “The critical funding would build on the work we have done to make our neighborhoods throughout northern Brooklyn and western Queens healthier places to live.”
