More Post-Sandy Dune Enhancements Begin Along South Jersey Shoreline
By David Madden
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- Despite the rain and the fog, New Jersey officials travelled to a stretch of beach on the southern end of Ocean City today, to mark the start of a $57-million project that will do more than just replenish the beaches down to the end of Sea Isle City.
Call this the "Sandy fix." The US Army Corps of Engineers is coming in, not just to pump more sand on the beach but to improve the dune system along this nine-mile stretch of shoreline.
It's part of a statewide plan that not everyone is on board with. The town of Margate, for example, is in court trying to block it.
Bob Martin, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (at lectern in photo below), is calling on Margate to reconsider.
"They're not fully protected at this point in time," Martin said today. "The dunes that we want to put in place there, and the full berm that we want to put in place, will protect that town."
-----
Margate officials insist the town doesn't need it. But that decision affects Ventnor and Longport, which support the plan.
Officials note that these projects are being paid for by the federal government, pointing out that the money could run dry before the lawsuits play out.