The federal government must remove two abandoned barges that are languishing in Flushing Bay, U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens/Bronx) said at a press conference on Monday.
“Flushing Bay has historically been and continues to be a critically important waterway for New York,” Crowley said. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs to recognize the urgency of this matter and act to immediately remove these derelict barges from our pay. They are not just an eyesore for our community. More importantly, they are polluting our water and creating an immediate safety hazard for the commercial, recreational and law enforcement ships that operate through the bay.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently dredging Flushing Bay, with an expected completion date on Dec. 26. The dredging is meant to restore federal navigation channels to their proper depth so that boats can use them for commerce and other purposes. As part of the project, the Army Corps are authorized to remove any barge or other object that blocks the federal navigation channels.
One barge did drift into the channel, and the Army Corps has taken responsibility for removing it. But before they do, they must go through a lengthy process to try and determine the owner of the barge, so that he or she can pay for its removal.
But Crowley argued that it was better to remove the barge first, and then find the owner.
24 comments:
Looks like a Chuck Schumer press conference.
Much ado about nothing...
The Corps (the Federal Government) has no authority to remove junk first and store it (at tax payer expense) in the hopes of finding an owner who will later pay back the taxpayer. These will sit where they are until legal due process is finished, assuring that the owner of these cannot take financial responsibility for them. Not the taxpayer.
Until I read further, I thought he was referring to Marge & LiZ....
WHY DOESN'T HE ALSO LOBBY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR MONEY TO FIX THE MARINA. THIS IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR QUEENS. IT COULD BE COME THE NEXT CHELSEA PIERS.
Than marina and neglected area id VERY DANGEROUS !
Its so dam bad with large wooden debris floating just below the waters surface you break your propeller and overdrive. ($3500 damage)
Those barges and docks are coming apart, its become a huge danger to boaters. Sea tow & rescue hit on and almost sunk going to a call. A boat hit a pylon (or something big just below the water and sunk in seconds. Lucky someone on board hada waterproof VHF Walkie Talkie. 7 people were in the water 30 minutes and almost drowned waiting for the "obama scuttled" skeleton crew coast guard to come from Brooklyn. --local power-boaters from Port Washington had to rescue.
Pressure obviously from Chinese Waterfront developers. The National Democratic party is about to take a large chunk of money from (lets call them what they are) the Red Chinese and his job is to 'help out.'
There is due process, but hell, its Queens, no one will understand what you are talking about and if it can be done under darkness with the right dash go for it boy!
Ever notice that when they say a pol in Queens "has a great future" its never for doing stuff for the community (who for the most part are totally clueless on those things) but its because of the work they do (its tough farm work sonny, havestin' cash)
Oh I see, Crowley was in town to collect some bags of real estate developer 'campaign donations' and figured he would put on a diversionary show...
Does Councilman Vallone ever have any comments/concerns/input about what's going on in his district??????????
"Oh I see, Crowley was in town..."
I wonder if he brought his kids to town so they could see where their daddy, Virginny Joe, officially resides?
Wait, so are people here actually against removing these barges? Seems to me like he's in the right on this one.
Anon #4:
PLEASE DON'T POST IN CAPS ONLY. IT'S LIKE SOMEONE SHOUTING IN YOUR FACE!
(See what I mean?)
The army corps of engineers is going to remove the barges anyway. This was nothing but a photo op for him to make him appear like he actually knows what's going on around here.
Crowley has to go, no matter how 'right' the causes of his photo ops are.
"Wait, so are people here actually against removing these barges?"
People here are against Joe Crowley. If he didn't hold the press conference, they'd complain. See the comment on Vallone. If he does hold the press conference, they complain. The fact that they support further pollution from the barges isn't their concern, slamming the congressman is.
Look at the comments when Katz said no to the rezoning and you'll see more of the same. Some people can do no right in the posters' eyes.
Welcome to Queens.
People here are against Joe Crowley. If he didn't hold the press conference, they'd complain. See the comment on Vallone. If he does hold the press conference, they complain. The fact that they support further pollution from the barges isn't their concern, slamming the congressman is.
Yes, we complain because this man is a phony manipulating the democratic process for a tiny group of insiders that milk the system for all they can get form it. We are poorly governed, we are harvested like so many cattle, and we are treated like garbage.
Get off your high horse. Its repulsive how money makes one self righteous and blind to the things that everyone else sees and are seething that there is little they can do ....
now.
If he didn't hold the press conference we'd complain? Why would we do that? How about he actually do something besides photo ops?
Is that a podium or does he wear the Congressional seal over his weenie?
"The fact that they support further pollution from the barges isn't their concern, slamming the congressman is."
Hey be honest, the boy brings it all upon himself. He was born to slammed, ridiculed, abused, made a fool of and shit on. He deserves it for his shady back room deals (Liu over Avella is one), living in Virginia and not in Queens.
Screw him.
Why would you complain? To say he wasn't doing anything about the barges. That really needs explaining?
Get off my high horse and something about money? Where is this money you speak of? I don't have it.
Ok, so we all agree: joe Crowley is not a good representative. Joe Crowley is right that the barges must be removed. The barges are poisoning the bay. We will point out joe crowleys flaws when he exhibits them, not when he presses another branch of government to do right by the people of queens.
All agreed, right?
No, the Army Corps was removing the barges anyway and this was just another lame attempt to get his name in the papers, and it worked like a charm.
WOW
I got it right...
:-)
The army corps is removing the barges? News to me. Can you cite your source? I see this nowhere.
"The Army Corps is waiting to receive funding and authorization from its national headquarters to remove the barges. Mosley said the Army Corps will work with a commercial marine salvage contractor, a private contractor that specializes in salvaging ships, which will develop a plan for removing and disposing of each barge, Mosley said." - Times Ledger
It's in the works and this phony outrage is unnecessary.
Thanks crapper, hope that report is right. Another paper said this (crapicle):
But before the agency can remove the Styrofoam-leaking ships from the bay entirely, Caldwell noted an exhaustive process of discovering who owns the vessels must first be completed.
“It’s a very distinct process we have to go through,” he said. “We don’t want the federal government to pay the bill if there’s an owner responsible for it.”
Seems less assured in that article.
I've been living in the area since 1955. To the best of my recollections, the Army Corps of Engineers has dredged the bay at least two times since the early 60s. As long as you have a water flow situation that is non flow....and unsanitary businesses in the area....it will have to be dredged over and over again. This WILL NOT solve the problem! The people are pigs and all kinds of crap winds up being flushed into the bay. Whatever happened to that miracle multi million dollar retention tank they built in the 90s? A multi million dollar boondoggle it turned out to be if it has not solved this stinky problem. Maybe it is the rampant over development that has overburdened our infrastructure.
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