Special to the Patriot-Bridge
U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey hosted a press conference on Wednesday, May 28 to call attention to the urgent need to address flooding along the Island End River in Chelsea and Everett that is part of the Mystic River watershed area and threatens homes, the fresh produce supply and transportation to the North Shore. A much-needed flood barrier project is endangered by the cancellation of a federal program that the project relied on for funding, according to Markey and officials from Chelsea and Everett.
“To rip away $50 million of federal funding from Chelsea and Everett is an act of climate injustice,” Markey said. “The Trump administration’s reckless decision to terminate disaster resiliency funding not only harms communities on the frontline of the climate crisis but also has repercussions far beyond. This funding isn’t a budget line—it’s a lifeline for our constituents.
“Cancelling it will directly harm our constituents and our economy. It will cost us as we pay and pay and pay again to clean up and rebuild flood after flood that are only becoming more frequent and more severe,” Markey continued. “It is penny wise and billions of destruction and damage foolish. For months, the Trump administration has made it clear they do not care about our health, safety, or resiliency, and they do not care about the long-term, long-dreamed visions of our communities to build a future safe from climate change.”
Joining Markey were State Senator Sal DiDomenico, State Rep. Judith García, Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez, La Colaborativa Executive Director Gladys Vega, and GreenRoots Director of Climate Justice & Waterfront Initiatives John Walkey.
The planned Island End River Flood Resilience Project includes a barrier, tidal gates, and restored wetlands, which together will protect thousands of people and billions of dollars in economic activity from flooding that is growing worse every year, according to the officials.
The saltwater river, which forms the Everett-Chelsea border, already floods often during high tide, even in calm weather. Every year, flooding closes businesses and roads, and firefighters rescue stranded drivers from their vehicles.
Some flooding will happen almost weekly within five years and twice per day by 2050. More severe flooding on the scale of Hurricane Sandy will eventually happen every year.
“We welcome Senator Markey’s attention to this urgent project,” said Maltez. “One way or another, we will find a way to build this project because we simply must build it. Not just for Chelsea and Everett, but for the millions of people who depend every day on critical infrastructure in this floodplain every day.”
The project will protect 5,000 people, three schools, the MBTA commuter rail serving the entire North Shore, a major postal distribution center, and other critical infrastructure. Notably, it will protect the New England Produce Center, the main produce hub serving 8 million people across six states, stated the local officials.
Altogether, they stated the project will deliver $3.7 billion in benefits, more than 30 times the cost of the project—far exceeding FEMA’s standards for a cost-effective project.
“Cities like Everett and Chelsea are vital contributors to greater Boston and the entire state,” said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “This project is about more than the two cities where it is located, and two cities can’t build it alone.”