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Bloomberg Marks Sandy's Anniversary With Tour of Staten Island Defenses

By Nicholas Rizzi | October 29, 2013 12:36pm
 The visit is part of the mayor's three borough tour of resiliency sites in Sandy damaged neighborhoods.
Bloomberg Tours Berm Construction Project on Staten Island
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GREAT KILLS — Mayor Michael Bloomberg marked the first anniversary of Hurricane Sandy by touring the berm construction project at Crescent Beach in Staten Island.

The visit was the first stop in the mayor's three borough tour of resiliency sites in storm-damaged neighborhoods on Tuesday morning.

At the site, Bloomberg talked to workers and project managers at the berms and said that, while projects like this can get bogged down in government, they have moved very quickly.

"We're doing things, not just talking about it," Bloomberg said. "We're doing things in specific places, getting them going and, in government speed, this is very quick."

Workers are currently installing the artificial barrier, called a Trapbag, on a stretch of shoreline on Crescent Beach.

The 2,050 foot long barrier will have sand poured into it and stand about four feet tall along the beach.

Rep. Michael Grimm, who joined Bloomberg and other elected officials on the tour, said the berms would be a vital step in protecting the neighborhood from future storms.

"Measures like this one are absolutely vital," he said. "This is a huge step forward."

While Grimm said he thought there was better technology the city could have used to protect homes from future floods, he was happy that at least some barriers were put in.

Bloomberg continued his Tuesday tour with visits to sites in Coney Island and the Rockaways.