Bayshore Sandy Survivor News: Rebuilding Union Beach, NJ Gets Half The Sandy Aid NY Does, New Sandy Program, Ousted Firm Blames NJ

'Rebuilding Union Beach' helps displaced families return home after Sandy | The project is funded through a $1.67 million grant from the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and a $770,000 grant from the Robin Hood Foundation. http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2014/06/union_beach_sandy_modular_home.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

TWITTER ACTION FROM THE ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION
Robin Hood @RobinHoodNYC  Jun 18
Went to Union Beach NJ to see families move into new homes! Happy to partner w/ @Sandynjrelief #rebuildingUB https://twitter.com/RobinHoodNYC/status/479382937742610432/photo/1
(UB Mayor Paul Smith is far right in the picture at the above link)

Why Did New Jersey Get Only Half as Much Sandy Aid as New York? | Investigation finds funding formula benefited NY in multiple ways; NJ officials remain confused http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/06/18/why-did-new-jersey-get-only-half-as-much-sandy-aid-as-new-york/  

Do you need an advocate to help you navigate the disaster after Sandy? | Call The Community Health Law Project office closest to you. Monmouth and Ocean: 732-380-1012. For other areas and more information, click on these links:
1) https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreGivesBack/posts/657563604318366 2) http://www.chlp.org/

Many Displaced by Superstorm Sandy Still Wait for Housing Help | Rules, Including Some Tracing to Fraud Seen After Katrina, Slow Delivery of Billions in Federal Aid. http://online.wsj.com/articles/many-displaced-by-superstorm-sandy-still-wait-for-housing-help-1403060886  

Residents of hurricane-hit Jersey shore ordered to stop rebuilding during tourist season | Down the shore, there are dozens of properties still rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy, but now, towns like Toms River and Ocean Beach 3 have banned construction for the summer until Labor Day. http://www.my9nj.com/story/25797564/looks-like-shore-towns-must-halt-the-hammers

NJ Sandy program giving financial help to residents faces challenges | The idea behind a grant program providing temporary financial relief for homeowners and renters trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy is laudable, residents say, but for some the execution has been riddled with long waits, late payments and other problems. http://www.nj.com/ocean/index.ssf/2014/06/nj_sandy_voucher_program.html

$1B in Sandy aid to fund national resiliency competition | Nearly $1 billion in flexible federal grants remaining from the Hurricane Sandy relief package Congress passed last year will fund a national resiliency competition, a move lawmakers from New York and New Jersey have previously publicly opposed. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/sandy_resliency_competition.html

R.I.P. ROBERT MEYER
1) Funeral for fa.llen Union Beach Firefighter Robert "Hawk" Meyer - 6.14.2014 http://photos.nj.com/star-ledger/2014/06/funeral_for_fallen_union_beach_16.html
2) Union Beach firefighter remembered http://www.app.com/story/news/local/monmouth-county-bayshore/2014/06/14/union-beach-firefighter-remembered/10525893/
3) Thousands Gather To Salute Fallen Union Beach Firefighter http://holmdel-hazlet.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/thousands-gather-to-salute-fallen-union-beach-firefighter71476?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&newsRef=true

Join the The Sierra Club to keep fracking waste out of New Jersey | As much as I dislike NJ Sierra head Jeff Tittel for lying...err...misspeaking before the NJ Senate about the good people of Union Beach and our fight against the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority's planned 38-story industrial wind turbine, they're right about this. We don't want the BRSA to process PA fracking waste at their plant. https://secure3.convio.net/scnj/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1307

AND SPEAKING OF THE BRSA AND WINDZILLA, HERE'S THIS WEEK'S "BRSA ON NOTICE"
1) Anatomy of a legal settlement with a wind developer
$1.2 million settlement details released in wind turbine neighbor lawsuit, Lowell, Vermont. AS ALWAYS, the settlement stipulation put very specific restrictions on what the Nelsons (plaintiffs) can say about the wind project. The developer had to deal with only one home. In Union Beach, BRSA might well have to settle with hundreds of homes. http://caledonianrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=180&SubSectionID=778&ArticleID=113476&TM=7784.8
2) Claim ready: County businesses and property owners prepare to defend the value of their livelihoods and savings | Nearly 400 businesses and property owners in Prince Edward County (Ontario) have signaled their intention to seek financial compensation if they suffer loss of value as a result of wind turbines constructed nearby. http://wellingtontimes.ca/?p=11446
3) Conservation group sues Obama administration to protect eagles from wind turbines | The lawsuit from the American Bird Conservancy was expected to be filed Thursday in federal court in San Jose, California. A copy of the complaint was obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/conservation-group-sues-obama-administration-protect-eagles-wind-turbines/

Port Monmouth flood projects underway | After nearly two decades of delays and a superstorm that damaged more than 750 local homes, new flood mitigation projects have begun in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown. http://ind.gmnews.com/news/2014-06-19/Front_Page/Port_Monmouth_flood_projects_underway.html

Ousted Firm Blames New Jersey for Sandy Ills
Local reprint from Wall Street Journal
Hammerman & Gainer Inc. Accuses State of Shifting Rules, Sowing Confusion Among Storm Victims. http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/print/WSJ_-A015-20140614.pdf

Donations are needed more than ever for people affected by Sandy | Despite the commercials you may have seen or heard about, the Jersey shore is not OK. Jim Farmer is looking for your kind donations to match to the hundreds in need. Please visit Hurricane Sandy Furniture Donations Community. https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreGivesBack/posts/657149917693068

Risk of back bay flooding not changed by Sandy, research shows | Conventional wisdom held that New Jersey’s back bays were left more vulnerable to flooding as a result of Hurricane Sandy. In reality, a succession of strong storms exposed risks that existed all along, and the biggest predictor of inland water levels remains the condition of the ocean. http://m.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/risk-of-back-bay-flooding-not-changed-by-sandy-research/article_1a4760a2-f1a1-11e3-bdbb-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=jqm

More than $100M in Sandy aid to fund coastal protection projects | The grants will support projects in 11 states and help restore more than 6,600 acres of wetlands and marshes, 225 acres of beach and 16 miles of streams, according to federal officials. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/100m_in_sandy_aid_to_fund_coastal_protection_projects.html#incart_river_default

July 2014 Events for Monmouth County Parks | July is Parks and Recreation month! The Monmouth County Park System has filled the month with activities for county residents to enjoy.  Here’s what is planned for July. http://www.ahherald.com/newsbrief/monmouth-news/17751-july-2014-events-for-monmouth-county-parks?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

NJ, NY top list of states to receive Hurricane Sandy-related grants | New Jersey has the largest number of approved projects, at 13, including restoration of beaches, salt marshes and urban areas including Hoboken. http://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/2014/06/16/superstorm-funds/10626921/

After Sandy debacle, NJ Transit comes up with new flood plan | The 16-page document outlines how the agency would respond to weather emergencies, terrorist attacks, earthquakes and other major events. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/after_sandy_debacle_nj_transit_comes_up_with_new_flood_plan.html

10 ways Sandy's impact continues to be felt in New Jersey | Residents and long-time visitors say many aspects of coastal life still aren't the way they were before the storm – and may, in fact, never be the same. http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/new-jersey/item/69335-10-ways-sandys-impact-continues-to-be-felt-in-new-jersey?utm_source=down-the-shore&utm_medium=social&utm_content=test&utm_campaign=social-inbound

A milestone in Sea Bright as volunteers help Sandy victims return home | Out of her house for 20 months after Hurricane Sandy, the mother of three now has a brand new first level of her two-story home in Sea Bright. http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2014/06/a_milestone_in_sea_bright_as_volunteers_help_sandy_victims_return_home.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Flood insurance coalition, created to fight premium spikes, turns to long-term fix | As FEMA rolls out measures to limit flood insurance premium increases for homeowners, the United States must find a long-term, permanent fix for the National Flood Insurance Program that is up for renewal in Congress in three years. http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/06/flood_insurance_coalition_forg.html  

Beware of Cotton Balls Running Down the Beach!
From Joe Reynolds of the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council, one of NJ's top environmental advocates http://www.ahherald.com/columns-list/old-oak-trail/17766-beware-of-cotton-balls-running-down-the-beach  

NJ'S ARCHAIC WATER SYSTEM: THE $40B PROBLEM IN SEARCH OF A SOLUTION | Assembly panel takes up familiar, but seemingly insoluble, issue of clean water for the Garden State http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/06/12/nj-s-archaic-water-system-the-40b-problem-in-search-of-a-solution/

I-Team: New Jersey Waste Disposal Project Causes Concern in NY | A waste disposal project across the harbor from Staten Island that envisions using soil from other industrial sites to top off 2 million tons of cyanide sludge is causing concern among environmentalists and some New York lawmakers. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/Rahway-Arch-Carteret-New-Jersey-Toxic-Soil-Cyanide-262770551.html