Fire Island Dredging Project Put on Hold for ‘Emergency’ Beach Project at Palm Beach’s Mar-a-Lago

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has diverted a dredging project they had planned for Fire Island in favor of an “emergency” project in Palm Beach. Crews were diverted from rebuilding dunes on Fire Island that were damaged from 2012’s Hurricane Sandy to work on a beach located less than mile away from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.

The Army Corps of Engineers have assured contractors will be back to finish the two dredging projects in Fire Island’s Point O’ Woods and Ocean Bay Park neighborhoods by the contracted June 19 completion date. The New York Post was the first to report the halted project.

“Army Corps Florida has some real explaining to do on why and how they pulled a dredge we desperately needed here on Long Island to Palm Beach,” New York Senator Schumer told The Post.

“The Army Corps should complete the storm protection work on Long Island before heading to Mar-a-Lago. In the spirit of the Sunshine State, we need to shine a bright light on who made the call to suddenly pluck New York’s dredge ship out of Long Island waters.”

David Ruderman, a spokesman for the Army Corps’ Jacksonville district, denied changing up the project has anything to do with Trump, explaining he “just happens” to live close to the Florida project. “There is no connection whatsoever,” he told The Post.

The Palm Beach project will cost $19 million and cover a stretch of beach from the area’s Casa Bendita to Banyan Road.

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