FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 4, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Nine years after Sandy, Congress members call for Jamaica Bay protections
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
On the ninth anniversary of Superstorm
Sandy — which devastated low-lying
coastal communities that surround
Jamaica Bay when it crashed ashore on
Oct. 29, 2012 — Congressman Hakeem
Jeff ries and members of the New York
Congressional delegation representing
Queens and Brooklyn sent a letter to the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requesting
already approved funds be used on
ecosystem restoration projects to benefi
t the bay.
“While it’s been nearly a decade since
Superstorm Sandy, many Americans continue
to feel its devastating eff ects. Today,
the Jamaica Bay area remains vulnerable
to extreme weather events,” the members
wrote. “We were reminded of this disturbing
fact last month, when Hurricane Ida
and its remnants caused torrential downpours
and signifi cant fl ooding in lowlying
neighborhoods, tragically killing 16
people in New York. Th e storm demonstrated
that our constituents and local
businesses remain at risk, and the communities
we represent need more assistance.”
In September, Congress passed, and
President Joe Biden signed into law, a
Disaster Supplemental to provide $28.6
billion in relief funding, including $100
million for high-priority projects in states
that were aff ected by Hurricane Ida.
Th e Spring Creek South Ecosystem
Restoration and Coastal Storm Risk
Management Study is a high priority for
New York City constituents who would
signifi cantly benefi t from the proposed
measure, the representatives wrote in the
letter.
“Th e Spring Creek South study will
recommend a comprehensive, integrated
solution to provide Howard Beach
residents with a resilient and environmentally
sustainable shoreline, providing
long-needed storm risk management
benefi ts and restoring critical habitat,”
they wrote.
Jeff ries was joined by Senators Charles
Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand along
with Representatives Gregory Meeks,
Grace Meng, Nydia Velázquez and Jerrold
Nadler.
Th ey also called for full funding of Th e
Stony Creek Marsh Island project, within
Jamaica Bay, which will restore a total
of 62 acres of habitat, including 49 acres
of wetland, 3.5 acres of scrub/shrub and
1.4 acres of channel habitats, while providing
critical secondary coastal storm
risk management benefi ts to the adjacent
communities.
“Th ese two projects represent significant
steps in our eff orts to protect vulnerable
New Yorkers from the threat of
future coastal storms and provide critical
ecosystem services to Jamaica Bay
and the neighborhoods that surround it,”
they wrote. “Th erefore, we respectfully
request that you provide full funding for
both projects in your plan for the Disaster
Supplemental.”
Queens man cuff ed for role in attack on Capitol Building on Jan. 6
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A Queens man was arrested for his alleged
involvement in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6,
prosecutors announced Friday, Oct. 29.
Little Neck resident Jia Liu, 26, was
charged with four misdemeanors in connection
to the incident aft er being arrested
by the FBI.
Th roughout the course of the riots, the
United States Capitol Police (USCP) security
cameras captured images of individuals
unlawfully entering and rioting inside the
U.S. Capitol building. According to court
documents, Liu was allegedly spotted on
two separate occasions entering the Capitol
building at 3:24 p.m. and exiting at 3:31
p.m. by climbing through an open window.
Later, at 3:36 p.m., Liu was allegedly
seen on body camera footage on the
Upper West Terrace on the north side of
the building. At 3:56 p.m., Liu allegedly
re-entered the building before leaving
again at 4:22 p.m.
According to NYPD license plate reader
information, at 5:32 a.m. that day, a 2004
Jeep Wrangler registered to Liu’s stepfather
was allegedly read traveling in the
Lincoln Tunnel Outbound West Tube,
leaving New York City. At 11:55 p.m. that
night, the same car was read going northbound
on the George Washington Bridge,
Lowel Level into New York City, and
again at approximately 12:04 a.m. (on Jan.
7, 2021) traveling Queens-bound on the
Th rogs Neck Bridge.
Financial records allegedly show that on
Jan. 6, Liu’s credit card was used twice at
a BP gas station in Hauppauge, New York,
and also twice in and around Washington,
D.C., including a $52.98 purchase at a
Sunoco gas station.
Photos courtesy of the U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce for the Eastern District of New York
Jia Liu was arrested in connection to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
QNS fi le photos
Marking the ninth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, Queens and Brooklyn members of Congress are
urging funding to protect communities around Jamaica Bay.
/WWW.QNS.COM
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