PROVIDENCE, RI - U.S. Senator Jack Reed and Mayor David N. Cicilline today joined officials from the United States Army Corp of Engineers to mark the transfer of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier to the Corps. The transfer will save the City of Providence as much as $500,000 dollars annually in operations and maintenance costs and enhance public safety.

"For nearly fifty years this system has protected city residents and local business, but after Hurricane Katrina hit in August of 2005, the federal government undertook a careful review of critical flood control systems around the country. Following that review, we determined that the Army Corps of Engineers should take management and financial responsibility for Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. This transfer of all future operation and maintenance of the system to the Army Corps will protect the downtown area and our state's economy and will save Providence millions of dollars," said Senator Reed.

"I want to thank Senator Reed and former Senator Lincoln Chafee for ensuring that this facility, which is critically important to protecting thousands of lives and hundreds of acres of real estate, has the full resources of the federal government behind it," said Mayor Cicilline. "They recognized that Providence taxpayers should not alone bear the burden of protecting homes, businesses and the regional economy against hurricanes."

Senator Reed, who serves in the Armed Services and Appropriation committees, helped pass legislation requiring the Corps to assume responsibility for annual operation and maintenance of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. Reed also helped provide $4 million in federal funding for the Corp to make needed repairs to the barrier's pumping system and secured nearly $1 million for operation and maintenance of the barrier over the past two years.

"This effort is a win-win for everyone because it puts the federal resources behind the maintenance and repair of the Hurricane Barrier and is an important cost savings measure for taxpayers," said Mayor Cicilline.

The federal government through the Army Corp of Engineers began construction of the facility in 1960 following the hurricanes of 1938 and 1954, during which virtually all of downtown Providence was under water. Built to protect 280 acres of land and thousands of lives, the hurricane barrier has three large flood gates and five pumps with the capacity to pump 3.5 million gallons of water per minute.

Several years ago, Mayor Cicilline began advocating for the Corps to take over the hurricane barrier, stating that "it didn't make sense" for Providence taxpayers to bear the burden of costly of repairs and maintenance of the facility. In 2006, he testified before a field hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee making the case that the facility really belonged in the hands of the Army Corp of Engineers.

Shortly thereafter, with the support of the entire Congressional delegation, Senators Chafee and Reed included the initial transfer language in the Department of Defense Authorization Act.