Robert Torricelli: “the fiscal year 2002 energy and water appropriations bill provides appropriations for many important water resources…”

“the fiscal year 2002 energy and water appropriations bill provides appropriations for many important water resources projects for the state of New Jersey. I understand that these appropriations were made with limited funds and I am deeply grateful for the support the Committee has provided to many of my requests. However, there is an important New Jersey project that was not fully appropriated and we respectfully ask the managers that if funds should be made available during conference, that they consider fully funding the President's budget request for the Green Brook Sub-Basin. As you may know, flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 caused tremendous damage to the state of New Jersey--especially to the town of Green Brook and the surrounding region. It is estimated that the flooding caused $6 million of damage to the region alone. Unfortunately, the floods from Hurricane Floyd were not the first to have struck the area. Records have shown that floods have continuously struck this area as early 1903. Disastrous flooding to the basin in the summer of 1971 and in the summer of 1973--in which six people were killed. The Green Brook Sub-Basic project, which is located in north-central New Jersey and spans throughout three counties, began in 2000. The project will construct flood levees and flood walls, bridge raisings, closure structures, individual flood proofings, and buyouts.”