Following a year of high water levels along Lake Ontario, U.S. Reps. John Katko (NY-24), Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), and Joseph Morelle (NY-25) today sent a bipartisan letter to Jane Corwin, Chair of the U.S. Section, International Joint Commission (IJC), urging compliance with the Supplementary Order of Approval for Plan 2014, a directive which requires the IJC to provide adequate protections for coastal community residents and businesses.
The lawmakers highlighted the dire to need to provide protections for coastal communities after multiple years of sustained flooding which has resulted in severe damage to residential and commercial properties along Lake Ontario.
“Water-level regulation procedures authorized under Plan 2014 directly impact the wellbeing of Lake Ontario’s shoreline communities, which have faced historic flooding in two of the three years since Plan 2014 took effect. The resulting devastation has amounted to millions of dollars in damage to shoreline infrastructure, as well as residential and commercial properties. Additionally, the prospect of sustained high-water levels poses an existential threat to the economic health of our shoreline communities, including our local tourism and boating industries,” wrote Katko, Brindisi, and Morelle.
Katko, Brindisi, and Morelle requested information from the IJC regarding efforts to comply with the Supplementary Order of Approval for Plan 2014, to ensure adequate protections are provided for both sides of the International Boundary.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear IJC Chair Corwin,
We are writing to request information regarding efforts undertaken by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to comply with theSupplementary Order of Approval for Plan 2014 signed into effect on December 8, 2016.
As you know, Condition A of the Supplementary Order of Approval for Plan 2014 states the responsibility of the IJC to provide suitable and adequate protection and indemnity to interests on either side of the International Boundary that are injured by the maintenance and operation of works laid out in Plan 2014.
Water-level regulation procedures authorized under Plan 2014 directly impact the wellbeing of Lake Ontario’s shoreline communities, which have faced historic flooding in two of the three years since Plan 2014 took effect. The resulting devastation has amounted to millions of dollars in damage to shoreline infrastructure, as well as residential and commercial properties. Additionally, the prospect of sustained high-water levels poses an existential threat to the economic health of our shoreline communities, including our local tourism and boating industries.
For this reason, we are writing to request information regarding efforts undertaken by the IJC to provide protection and indemnity to Lake Ontario’s shoreline communities pursuant to Condition A of the Supplementary Order of Approval for Plan 2014. Additionally, we are requesting information on initiatives that will be pursued by the IJC to redress the catastrophic injuries sustained by our communities in the years since Plan 2014 took effect.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
John Katko (NY-24)
Anthony Brindisi (NY-22)
Joseph Morelle (NY-25)
Be the first to comment