Dr. Franco Montalto commentated in a report by Christopher Joyce on NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss the use of green infrastructure in protecting the New York metropolitan area from high energy storms such as November’s Hurricane Sandy.
Transcript excerpt:
Engineer Franco Montalto of Drexel University says [beaches] could be “nourished” — built up with sand or sediment to create dunes that hold back the water. “And the evidence seems to be that places that had rehabilitated beaches suffered less damage than places that didn’t,” Montalto says. For years, the Army Corps of Engineers has built sand dunes along East Coast beaches. Although many got swept away by Sandy, they’re relatively cheap to rebuild. It’s the kind of defense that Montalto calls “green infrastructure.” He says the green strategy has multiple benefits.“You know, a beach nourishment project could have value in terms of protecting houses, it could add habitat and could sort of enhance the value of this beach,” Montalto says. New York is seeking about $10 billion to prepare for the next big storm. Some experts, like Montalto, say you get more bang for your buck with a “distributed” defense — dunes, wetlands, bigger stormwater culverts, even urban parks that slow down the flow of water. They’re cheaper and designed to fit the needs of a particular community.