Upper State Road Flooding

Washington, Sep 28 -

WEST TRENTON NJ--Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick called for a comprehensive management plan of the entire Delaware River basin – with significant solutions to limit damage to homes and businesses.  

The Congressman’s testimony was presented Wednesday at a hearing of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) in the commission’s West Trenton offices. “I want to thank the Delaware River Basin Commission for holding this important hearing to address the flooding problem that has adversely affected many communities along the Delaware River. . . and for addressing this issue in a timely manner.”  

Fitzpatrick has been calling for a multi-state approach to the problem. “A new comprehensive plan must take also into account how land development affects not only local communities, but also the basin as a whole,” the Congressman said in a statement read into the record by his district director during a hearing before the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) in West Trenton.

The focus of the public hearing was the recent increase in flooding and damage along the Delaware River, specifically between Bucks County, PA and New Jersey. Areas such as Riegelsville, New Hope, Upper Makefield and Yardley Borough have been hard hit by repeated flooding in less than a year. The impact of upstream development and reservoirs in New York also were discussed.

In August 2006, Congressman Fitzpatrick urged a multi-state and federal effort to find a solution to repeated flooding occurring on Bucks County’s riverfront. “As we have seen many communities are exceptionally susceptible to flooding.  In the 8th Congressional District, devastating flooding in the last three years has displaced hundreds of families and businesses, caused severe damage to the environment, and financial loss,” Fitzpatrick said.  

The Congressman noted that one of several possible  interim measures would be controlling water levels in three of New York’s major reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains, namely the three that supply half of New York City’s water. But limiting water storage levels in all 15 major reservoirs also should be considered as a flood control measure, he said.  

On Aug. 30, 2006, Fitzpatrick sent a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell urging him to push for a new reservoir agreement with New York City and the governors of New York, New Jersey and Delaware. The Congressman also had proposed a plan that would require New York reservoirs not to exceed an 85 percent water level, which would, he said, “provide great benefits to the downstream Pennsylvania residents”. . .whose  homes and businesses are being damaged by river flooding.   

“This would be one solution to our county’s multi-million dollar battles with the Delaware River’s floodwaters,” Fitzpatrick said.     

Following the hearing, the DRBC approved a temporary plan to reduce water levels in the three New York (Catskill Mountains) reservoirs and a to establish a Flood Mitigation Task Force, comprised of federal and state officials. The task force will take a year to study various flood control measures, including storm water management. The commission also received $500,000 from the four Delaware River Basin states to study the potential use of all 15 of the basin reservoirs for flood control management.  

“Fear consumes residents along the river each time extreme rainfall is predicted in the area. Although we cannot stop rain. . . .mitigation plans can reduce the impact on the river Basin,” Fitzpatrick said. “The Delaware River has not just flooded one time in every 100 years, it has flooded repeatedly,” he added.  

The Congressman thanked the DRBC for conducting a public hearing on a matter of tremendous importance within the river basin, and focusing on a multi-state approach to flood mitigation. “I applaud the leadership of the DRBC in addressing this issue in a timely manner with an emphasis on comprehensive long term solutions to mitigate flood damage,” he said.  
 
Because recent Delaware River flooding in the 8th District required immediate action from Congress, Congressman Fitzpatrick was instrumental in securing President Bush’s Federal Disaster Declaration for Bucks County, as well as providing current information on FEMA relief efforts to those impacted by flooding; the damages were too much for local and state governments to handle alone.

Specifically, the Congressman took the following actions:

• August 15, 2006: Congressman Fitzpatrick organized a Financial Services Committee Hearing on "A Look at the National Flood Insurance Program and Mitigation Efforts: Is Bucks County, Pennsylvania Ready for Another Flood?"

• July 17, 2006: Congressman Fitzpatrick held a hearing in New Hope, Pennsylvania to discuss the recent Delaware River flooding and actions that can be taken to reduce future damage.

• July 25, 2006: Congressman Fitzpatrick sent an urgent letter to President Bush, urging him to declare the 8th district of Pennsylvania a federal disaster area. 

• July 17, 2006: Congressman Fitzpatrick hosted a Small Business Administration Forum to show local business owners what they can do to prepare for natural disasters.

• July 5, 2006: Congressman Fitzpatrick put together an emergency town hall meeting at the Yardley-Makefield Fire Co. to address flood victims’ concerns in the immediate aftermath of the latest disaster.

• April 14, 2005: Congressman Fitzpatrick chaired a meeting of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity on the "Review and Oversight of the National Flood Insurance Program."

• April 15, 2005: Congressman Fitzpatrick wrote to President Bush immediately after the flood to have Bucks County declared a Federal Disaster Area. 

• Submitted testimony to State Rep. Scott Petri's 2005 flood mitigation hearing.

• Authorized production of a 30-minute television show featuring Steven Kanstaroom, a FEMA flood insurance watchdog, advising flood victims on what they can do to make ensure their flood insurance claims are properly handled.

• Formed the House Delaware River Basin Task Force to coordinate congressional efforts from the four basin states (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York).

• Supported legislation to remove taxation on FEMA relief grants. In 2004, the IRS defined FEMA grants as taxable income for the first time. Fitzpatrick cosponsored and generated support for the passage of H.R. 1134 to reverse the IRS decision and return mitigation grants to tax-exempt status. H.R. 1134 was signed by President Bush into public law on April 15, 2005.

• Wrote Governor Rendell requesting him to release $10.4 million from the National Emergency Grant authorized by the Department of Labor to assist workers left unemployed by flooding.

• Introduced H.R. 1983 on April 28, 2005 to instruct the Army Corps of Engineers to study ways to lessen the impact of future flooding along the Delaware River. On July 14, 2005, the House passed the Water Resources Development Appropriations Act (WRDA), H.R. 2864, which included Fitzpatrick's legislation for a Delaware River flood mitigation study.

• Introduced the National Flood Insurance Program Further Enhanced Borrowing Authority Act, H.R. 4133, to increase the amount of money available to pay federal flood insurance claims in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. The bill boosted to $18.5 billion from $3.5 billion the amount of money the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is permitted to borrow from the Treasury to pay flood insurance claims. On November 21, 2005, the bill was signed into law (P.L. 109-106).

• Assisted in securing $60 million in funding for the NRCS Watershed Operations programs. $3 million of this money is specifically for the Neshaminy Creek area.

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is serving his first term as Representative of the 8th District of Pennsylvania, which includes Bucks County and portions of Montgomery County and Philadelphia.  

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