Hurricane Sandy: State Streamlines Process For Waterfront Property Repairs

The governor's office issued the following press release related to Hurricane Sandy cleanup efforts:

Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced today that steps have been taken to allow residents and property owners to immediately repair or rebuild seawalls, bulkheads, and revetments damaged by Storm Sandy in regulated coastal and tidal areas.

“Given the devastation along Connecticut’s coast, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has put emergency provisions in place so people can take action to repair or rebuild along the coast, and then follow-up with us for necessary paperwork,” Governor Malloy said.  “This process will help people move quickly to secure and protect their property, while ensuring that important environmental protections remain in place.”

The Governor continued, “As part of our overall effort to bring a common sense approach to environmental protection, this process was put in place for the first-time ever following Tropical Storm Irene last year.  DEEP is now bringing back these emergency provisions because they proved to be a valuable tool in supporting and speeding storm recovery efforts.”

The Governor said DEEP has put this process in place by issuing authorizations for:

• Repairs or rebuilding the pre-existing condition of seawalls, bulkheads, and revetments, and for riprap placed in eroded areas immediately behind damaged seawalls.

•  To be eligible to make use of this emergency authorization, the structure involved must have been previously authorized by a state permit, been in place since before 1995, or be protecting infrastructure or a residence that has been in place since before 1995.  Any structures that are rebuilt must also conform to the same height and footprint as the previous structure.  After undertaking this work, property owners must also submit an application for the appropriate DEEP permit by May 30, 2013.

• Use of equipment to replace sand that was displaced from beaches and the replacement of stones from seawalls and revetments displaced by the storm.  This authorization requires property owners to submit basic details and photographs that document the type and extent of work performed once it is completed.

• Temporary protection and reinforcement measures such as placement of sandbags, shoring and bracing, and for the use of equipment to remove storm debris after Sandy hit.  This authorization was actually issued before the storm.

Staff from DEEP’s Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP) will also be out in the most hard hit communities along the shore in the coming days and weeks to discuss issues related to repairs and rebuilding with property owners.

For more information on DEEP’s emergency and temporary authorizations, visit www.ct.gov/deep and select the Coastal Permitting link in the Storm Sandy box, or call the OLISP staff at 860-424-3034.

Residents and businesses seeking to perform work under these authorizations are advised to contact their municipal officials about the need for any local approvals.  They also need to obtain appropriate approvals from local officials for work on any buildings, such as homes.