Maybe it was not that bad, but the public, environmental, and planning professionals are feeling snubbed because the Office of Emergency Management in NJ submitted their Hazard Mitigation Plan to the feds without any input from the public. Continue reading “NJ OEM to Public and Experts – Drop Dead”
Beachfill in Margate could put Fishing Pier out of Business
We expect a massive amount of sand to be the federal government’s response to Hurricane Sandy in NJ. But the problems associated with beachfill are well documented; see the Costs of Beachfill section of this article. In some cases, beachfill keeps people from coming to the beach, because beachfill destroyed what they enjoyed about the beach. Be it fishing, safe swimming, wading, surfing or just enjoying a natural beach. Here is the latest threat to fishing and a way of life in Margate NJ, covered by the Press of Atlantic City’s Elisa Lala. Continue reading “Beachfill in Margate could put Fishing Pier out of Business”
Beach Replenishment Film
There is a documentary about beach replenishment called Shored Up. It was reviewed in Variety magazine recently, and in the Village Voice and the New York Times in recent months. The biggest take away concept from the film is summed up in one quote. Continue reading “Beach Replenishment Film”
Raising Streets & Entire Islands – Not Just Homes
Raising houses may or may not be enough as oceans rise. What about the ground-level and below ground infrastructure around such homes? Will we need to raise public infrastructure and entire islands?
A thoughtful treatment of the issue by Sarah Watson in this Press of Atlantic City article December 8, 2013. It references a 1990 study by James Titus at EPA, a summer-homeowner on Long Beach Island, NJ who works at EPA and makes a case study of LBI. It prompted us to add the study to our “More Information” Page, see the bottom of the page here.
Small States Urge Big Action on Climate Change
Governor Markell of DE is calling for action from DC on climate change, and lower levels of government is DC fails. Original article in Delaware Online on Nov. 14, 2013. http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013311150029
DE Beach Replenishment Projects Near Completion
The news reports about beach replenishment projects often cite erosion from a recent storm and just accept it as fact. Storms pull sand offshore, often into sand bars and beaches typically seems less wide a month after a storm. But six months or a year after a storm the sand is typically back and the beaches are at pre storm widths. But they never measure the beach just before these projects to show the sand has returned; they just do the project, like they did here in Delaware. Original story from Nov, 12, 2013 by Elaine Bean appears in Delmarvanow.com
News reports often don’t mention the problems associated with beach fill or beach replenishment. Read about them in the “Costs of Beacfill section of this Beachapedia article. And read some specific situations from Delaware here and here
We Are Merely Pulling Up Our Pants!
Opinion piece by Robert Young, October 31, 2013 that originally appeared on Yale University’s Environment 360 website.
To paraphrase Robert Young, Director of the Program for Study of Developed Shorelines, we are merely pulling up our pants in response to sea level rise, not getting out of the rising water’s way. One year after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the U.S. East Coast, the government is spending billions to replenish beaches that will only be swallowed again by rising seas and future storms. It’s time to develop coastal policies that take into account new climate realities.
Dunes – Nice Work if You Can Get It
We are big fans of dunes here, preferably the natural ones, and well vegetated. But even the Army Corps dunes built during beachfills and replenishment provide some measure of protection. The problem is not all Army Corps beachfill projects include dunes. This Op-Ed from the Asbury Park Press Dec 11, 2012 asks why. So should you.
Hyping Storm Erosion to Push Beachfill
Reporters and politicians, or we should say reporters following politicians, love to run out on to the beach after major storms and declare the beaches are eroding and therefore need replenishing. It happens every time and Hurricane Sandy was no exception. This Associated Press article by Wayne Parry from November 20, 2012 proves the point and was widely distributed.
Any beachgoer knows that in another few months, all that sand will be back. It comes and goes. It gets pulled offshore into sandbars in winter and during storms, and it is pushed back onto beaches during calmer conditions of summer. While the steady rise of our oceans is real, the claims of mass erosion after storms are sometimes just the claims of the sand-industrial complex.
But this article had an especially offensive claim that anywhere a federal beachfill project was in place there was considerably less damage. That claim, by Stockton College’s Stewart Farrell, was patently false, especially in Monmouth County NJ and it gave rise to this response.
Raw Video From Long Beach Island, NJ
Nov 3, 2012
New England Cable News served these 10 mins. of silent aerial footage showing the devastation wrought by Sandy to Long Beach Island. This starts at Taylor Ave in Beach Haven, pans south to downtown Beach Haven and then further south to Holgate. Clearly there was overwash on the beachfront earlier, but now the first two blocks are high and dry. Yet the Bay extends inward 3 blocks in places. This shows the oceanfront is the highest part of the island, and strong, natural dunes will add protection, but dunes and beach replenishment won’t stop bayside flooding. View video here.