Long Beach shore protection plan to be presented

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Environmental Conservation are expected to present a federal plan to protect the Long Beach shoreline in the city on Thursday night.

The Army Corps’ $178 million plan to protect Long Beach from future storms would include nearly 5 million cubic yards of sand and at least 22 new or rehabilitated protective groins, and work could start as early as this fall, federal officials have said. The federal government will pay for the project, officials have said.

Federal and state officials are expected to present the recommended plan in the project’s draft Hurricane Sandy Limited Re-evaluation Report and Environmental Assessment on Thursday, the Army Corp said in a statement.

The documents related to the project are available online at www.nan.usace.army.mil/LongBeach.

“We’re talking about a community that was significantly impacted by Sandy, so we’re trying to expedite work as much as possible, but at the same time make sure we’re doing it properly,” said Army Corps spokesman Chris Gardner.

Comments can also be submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District Planning Division-Environmental Branch (Attention: Robert Smith), 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278-0090. They can be emailed to robert.j.smith@usace.army.mil. The public comment period ends March 31.

Thursday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Long Beach City Hall, 1 West Chester St. in Long Beach, and ends at 8 p.m., officials said.