DEC Issues Draft General Permit for Bulkhead Removal (USA)

Permitting for bulkhead replacement and repair on portions of Long Island’s south shore will be streamlined under a draft permit released yesterday, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced.

“In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, DEC issued an emergency permit for bulkhead repair to expedite storm recovery efforts,” DEC Commissioner Martens said. “The new permit will continue streamlined permitting for Long Island residents while maintaining protections for the environment.”

The draft General Permit builds on DEC’s Bulkhead Replacement General Permit issued in October 2012. That permit allowed accelerated repairs in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and expires on Oct. 31, 2014.

The proposed General Permit will continue a similarly expedited permit procedure for bulkhead projects on the south shore of Nassau and Suffolk counties, west of the Robert Moses Causeway. This area has a high density of individually owned bulkheads, many of which have existed for 50 years or more. The General Permit will not be available in areas of vegetated tidal wetlands, along the ocean shoreline, the oceanfront of Long Beach Island and all of the Jones Beach State Park and Robert Moses State Park barrier islands.

The proposed General Permit will allow:

– the removal and replacement of functional and lawfully existing bulkheads (including returns and parallel capping boardwalks) in the same location;

– the replacement of a bulkhead 18 inches higher in elevation than the existing bulkhead; and

– limited maintenance dredging associated with the bulkhead replacement.

DEC will review and approve requests for authorization under the proposed General Permit before activities could be undertaken.

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Press Release, January 16, 2014