U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, in conjunction with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Suffolk County and Department of Interior, held a series of public meetings for the Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, NY (FIMP), Coastal Storm Risk Management Project throughout September 2016.

Construction along 83 miles of shorelines is set to begin in 2018, but many residents say that in spite of a $1.16 billion price tag, the project won’t prevent beach erosion.

According to a report appearing in Newsday, some attendees cited a report from environmental consulting firm First Coastal Corporation that reviewed the Army Corps’ project recommendations, said the plan to place 120,000 cubic yards of sand once every four years along 3,300 feet of shoreline in downtown Montauk is insufficient.

First Coastal’s report calls for expanding the work to a “full-scale beach nourishment project.” Under such expansion, an initial placement of 759,000 cubic yards of sand would be distributed over a longer area of 6,000 linear feet of shoreline and add an additional 414,000 cubic yards every four years.

Other attendees cited concerns over the quality of sand being used, and the long-term approach to protecting the area’s businesses, dunes and beaches.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, held the meetings to provide information and discuss the Draft General Re-evaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, NY (FIMP), Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. The project’s public comment period is set to end on 19 October 2016.