Pressley advances $750,000 in Community Project Funding for Island End River Area Flood Resiliency Project – Chelsea Record

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley announced the successful inclusion of $ 750,000 in federal project funding for the City of Chelsea and the City of Everett’s Island End River Regional Coastal Flood Protection Project.
Congresswoman Pressley visited the Island End on June 2nd and spoke out in favor of the two cities’ initiative to build flood protection to protect the New England Produce Center, an important source of food for the region.
Funding for the project, supported by Pressley through the Congressional Community Project Funding initiative, will be used to advance a regional flood control plan to protect the cities of Everett and Chelsea. This project would provide protection from critical flooding and sea level rise to densely populated regions, which are not only home to vital food security and energy infrastructures but are also vulnerable to coastal flooding and storms.
“As Congress drives bold investments in the country’s infrastructure, environmental justice must be paramount, and that means protecting our cities and towns from the sustained and long-term effects of climate change. This funding will help Chelsea and Everett, two frontline communities, improve their climate resilience and prevent further climate change-related disasters, “Congresswoman Pressley said. “I thank City Manager Ambrosino, Mayor DeMaria and all of our advocates for their close partnership during this process and look forward to seeing this important project across the finish line.”

Congressman Ayanna Pressley speaks to Chelsea and Everett officials during her June 2 visit to the Island End River site.

City Manager Tom Ambrosino said he was grateful that he was committed to moving the project forward.
“Chelsea is one of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable cities when it comes to coastal flooding, climate change and environmental disasters,” said City Manager Tom Ambrosino. “This much-needed federal funding will help us make Chelsea more climate resilient, and I am grateful to Congresswoman Pressley for her leadership in securing these federal dollars for our community and moving this project forward.”

State Sen. Sal DiDomenico also supported the effort between Everett and Chelsea, pointing out that the Produce Center was an important resource for the region.

Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said: “The New England region relies on fresh produce from warehouses in Everett and Chelsea that moved from Faneuil Hall Marketplace to our Market Street neighborhood in the 1960s,” said the Mayor of Everett, Carlo DeMaria. “We also have power generation facilities, fuel stores and S-Bahn services in the area. All of this area has a history of flooding and will see more in the future. Not only will this be a tremendous economic disruption, but with the rise in sea levels, increasing and more frequent storm surges, it promises to become a huge environmental disaster. I recommend Ayanna Pressley to take on this enormous and underrated task, because the consequences of doing nothing would be catastrophic. “
GreenRoots Director Roseann Bongiovanni said they were happy to host Pressley last month and pleased that she could win funding for Island End.
“GreenRoots is grateful for the guidance and support of Congresswoman Pressley, who has fought for low-income communities like Chelsea,” said Bongiovanni. “This is important funding needed to protect our community from another crisis – the climate crisis. Residents have worked hard to create public access and green spaces along the Island End River. Now we have to protect these resources from being drowned by sea level rise and storm surges. “

Everett and Chelsea officials and organizations spoke to Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on the Island End River on the City Line on June 2 about the importance of the project to the cities and region.

This project is one of 10 requests for funding for community projects that Pressley submitted to the Funding Committee. Information on the status of additional requests will be announced in the coming days.
The inclusion of these funds in the FY22 Budgetary Security Budget Act is the first step in the funding process and Pressley will continue to fight for these funds as the bill goes to the full Budget Committee for consideration in the House of Commons.