Rally held against dune project in Margate
MARGATE, Pa. (WPVI) -- Margate residents continued the fight to stop a controversial dune project on their beach after a judge ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to let the work continue.
Dozens of people rallied in protest Sunday afternoon, voicing concern about the problems they say this dune project brings.
It happened at 2 p.m. on the beach at Jerome Avenue.
While the project moves forward, the Army Corps of Engineers are required to pump away the hazardous storm water, and build elevated walkways to access the beach.
But residents say this shouldn't even be happening, and these are little fixes for a problem that could have easily been avoided.
Margate residents pressing on in the fight to stop a controversial, government ordered dune project intended to stop flooding, but has only created headaches and potential health hazards.
"There's no beach, we have no beach, we have a giant cesspool swamp," one resident said.
Donna Carfora of Margate said, "You're going to have Zika, bacteria, airborne illnesses."
A disaster of sorts that last week, a judge ordered the army corps of engineers to clean up by getting rid of the hazardous storm water ponding from the dunes' excavation, adding sand to raise the elevation, and building a temporary, elevated walkway for access to the ocean while work continues.
"I was hoping for a fix, but I'm really hoping they just put it back the way it was," Carfora said.
Former Margate Mayor Vaughn Real said, "Our damage from storms comes from the bay, not the beach because on average our bulkheads are 6 foot tall, and a wave is not going over it."
Residents says their fears are now a living nightmare.
Mark Neustadter of Margate said, "We knew this was going to happen. It's happened, it's worse than we thought it would happen."
"They had an idea it was a very bad idea. They could have done better, they didn't, but now you have judges still back them up, against all the evidence - it's a little suspect," Carfora said.
The Feds say the ponding water has been fenced off as the work continues while dredging and beachfill operations will likely continue on Tuesday.
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