Schumer Urges Expedited Jones Beach Inlet Repairs

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is urging two federal agencies to speed up repairs to a main navigational light tower at the end of the rocky jetty at Jones Inlet that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy last fall.

The Washington lawmaker said that without proper lighting and broken rocks, the inlet around Jones Beach in Wantagh can be treacherous for boaters and fishermen especially at night or in rough, foggy conditions. Jones Inlet connects the Atlantic Ocean to numerous communities along the south shore of Long Island.

While the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers are expected to begin work soon on the light tower as well as repairing a breakaway at Jones Inlet that also suffered damage from the Oct. 29 superstorm, Schumer urged these agencies to expedite the projects. He said these repairs are important for the benefit and safety of area fishermen and recreational boaters that utilize the highly used waterway. The light tower is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard and the breakaway is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.

From a press release issued by Senator Schumer:

“Prior to Superstorm Sandy, boaters sailing along the inlet worried about their safety due to the dim light, which failed to properly indicate the end of the Jetty and the start of Jones Inlet. The flashing navigational light at the end of the Jones Inlet rock jetty is essential to ensuring boater safety through the inlet. Particularly during nighttime and in rough weather, boaters are dependent upon lights such as these for navigational aid.  With the summer season underway, the number of boaters has skyrocketed and is therefore a potential risk if not addressed immediately.

Superstorm Sandy destroyed the light tower at the end of the jetty at Jones Inlet as well as the rocks used for the breakaway. The broken light poses a constant threat to boaters who cannot see where the breakaway ends and the inlets begins at night or during foggy weather and the damaged breakaway creates a safety hazard as there are broken rocks now scattered along the eastern shore of the waterway.”