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| By Erin O'Connor Staff Writer WEST SPRINGFIELD An inspection of the flood control systems for the cities of West Springfield, Springfield and Chicopee by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Nov. 20 has left the cities stuck between demands from the US Army Corps of Engineers and disapproval from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). On Nov. 20, the Army Corps deemed the levees for West Springfield, Chicopee and Springfield as unacceptable and said that repairs must be done in order for the flood control system not to lose its certification. "We all think the levee system is in good shape and this is an overreaction to what happened after Katrina," Mayor Edward Gibson said to Reminder Publications. Jack Dowd of the West Springfield Department of Public Works said the Army Corps conducted a previous inspection of this levee system in October of this year and at that time deemed the system as satisfactory, the levees' approval rating over the last 20 years. "Ratings go from good to terrible and everything in between," Larry Rosenberg, chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army Corps said to Reminder Publications. According to Dowd, city officials were instructed by the Army Corps that if improvements consisting of vegetational removal along the dike system were not made by Dec. 31 then the city's levee system would be decertified by the Army Corps and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Rosenberg denies that a deadline was set by the Army Corps. Dowd said the DEP has threatened the city with fines and violations if any modification work is done in this area. "The DEP said that if we stick so much as as a shovel in the ground then we are looking at fines," Dowd said. Dowd said bald eagles may be living in this area which may be causing some of the DEP's concerns along with concerns of wetlands that are present. "If the repairs are not made then FEMA will no longer authorize the use of this levee system," Rosenberg said. "Residents living in this area will have to purchase flood insurance." "We are hoping that the Army Corps will work with us to obtain the permits from the DEP to do the work," Gibson said. Rosenberg said that the Army Corps of Engineers is looking for a cooperative effort from the cities and would like to stay on and work with the cities on the project. Gibson said that a Dec. 21 notification from Congressman Olver's office voided the Dec. 31 deadline but now the actual deadline is unknown and can be anywhere from one month to one year for the repairs to be made. "We can't really do much in the winter and we need time to put together a plan of action," Gibson said. Dowd said that in addition to the city facing time constraints the city's finances are also a factor. "It will be $300,000 for our [West Springfield's] portion of the repairs," Dowd said. The total cost for the project is to be at least one million dollars. "This is a flood control project that is designed to protect people and property and we need to make sure the engineering is sound," Rosenberg said. Rosenberg said the levee inspection initiatives are ones that are happening on a national scale. "Katrina was a lack of communication between federal and state agencies," Rosenberg said. "We are going to work together to protect the health and safety of the citizens of New England." Erin O'Connor can be reached at Erin@TheReminder.com |