Rehoboth-Dewey to Receive $7.6 Million to Complete Beach Project

WASHINGTON (April 7, 2005) – Thanks to the hard work of the Delaware delegation and the cooperation of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Rehoboth-Dewey beach replenishment project will receive $7.6 million in federal funds to finish on time. Last month, the delegation learned that some money originally designated for Rehoboth had been “reprogrammed” away from Rehoboth-Dewey to be used on other projects. While it is standard procedure for the Corps to redirect funds to compensate for weather problems and other unforeseen delays, the delegation nevertheless reached out to Corps officials, as well as lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations committees, to ensure that Rehoboth-Dewey got the money it needed to complete the project on time. Yesterday, the Corps notified the delegation that it has restored $7.6 million to Rehoboth-Dewey and that the project would be completed as scheduled, by the end of June, if not sooner. “Delaware’s coastal communities are an enormous part of the economic well-being of our state, and any holdups in federal funding could have caused some significant disruptions in the early part of the summer tourist season,” said Sen. Joe Biden. “Our delegation worked closely with the state and DNREC Secretary John Hughes, and thankfully, we were able to keep the project on track and avoid any delays.” “In the summertime, the beaches are the lifeblood of many Sussex communities, and there was no way we were going to let this funding issue cause any kind of problems for Rehoboth or Dewey,” said Sen. Tom Carper. “I’m grateful to the Corps for its cooperation in settling this matter and for making sure that the project is completed on time. Thousands of tourists should have a new, wider beach to look forward to this summer as a result.” “From the time we learned of the problems surrounding funding, we jumped into action to ensure this project would not be stopped and would be completed on the right time line, in time for the summer beach season,” said Rep. Mike Castle. “We will remain vigilant to ensure there are no more bumps in the road and that the newly replenished beach will be ready for tourists and businesses this summer.”