Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Some much-needed help is hopefully on its way for the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park. It comes by way of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as he is urging the federal government to aid with efforts to recover the USS The Sullivans, which is severely listing in the Buffalo Harbor.
"As everyone knows, the beloved USS The Sullivans began sinking due to the conditions of the hull and a likely pump failure, causing this iconic Buffalo landmark to begin to sink, putting the future of this beloved museum ship and memorial in some doubt. It's heartbreaking," said Sen. Schumer on Monday as he visited the site.
"This floating memorial to a working-class family who lost all five of their sons in World War II in Guadalcanal has served as the pride and joy of Buffalo's waterfront. This is one of the greatest naval parks not just in New York State, but in the country. I don't know if there's one that really rivals it in many ways. It's a great icon for Buffalo, and we cannot let the Sullivans' stories sink into the abyss."
Schumer announced on Monday a three-pronged plan that is set in place towards helping the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park in its efforts to not only raise the 79-year-old destroyer from the waters of the Buffalo Harbor, but also to restore the ship and help clean up the waters of oil that leaked as a result of the ship sinking.
"Today, I am putting out an SOS across the federal government: "Save Our Sullivans," Schumer said. "I am committed to the mayor and to the park to do everything I can to get federal dollars to help."
Step 1 of this three-pronged plan, according to Schumer, is to request for funding through the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus, and push for the maximum eligible amount based off the relevant committee. The Senator says this direct cash infusion would help provide the fiscal relief needed as damage is assessed.
"There's now something called Congressionally Directed Spending, used to be called earmarks," Schumer explained. "As majority leader, I have some clout with earmarks, and I am telling [Mayor Byron Brown] and Mr. [Paul] Marzello that I will do everything I can to get as big an earmark as we can get to help with The Sullivans."
Step 2 of the plan to help save the USS The Sullivans will go towards the cleanup efforts in the Buffalo Harbor.
"When the hull was breached, oil began to spill out, polluting our waterways. While the cleanup efforts have already begun, this is going to be inexpensive. It shouldn't be the city or the county or, of course, the park here that have to pay for this," Schumer said. "The good news here is that we got $100 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - I put that in the last ARP bill, that's been covered by all of you. Some of that money can be used to clean up the oil and the spills, and get things back in tip-top shape here, because that's going to be an expense that we'll have to deal with."
Step 3 of this plan in place is for additional grant money from the National Maritime Heritage Grant Program to go towards the USS The Sullivans going forward.
"We put in $5 million, and there's a limit to how much each heritage area can get," Schumer said. "But I am going to, in the defense bill of this year, get a much higher amount and have a good chunk of that earmarked for our naval caucus."
Schumer says these pushes can provide the emergency lifeboat the historic vessel needs as it undergoes repairs. He also says he will not stop fighting to secure additional funds to ensure the story of The Sullivans can continue to inspire the Buffalo community for years to come.
"We're not going to let the limitations that have existed in the past on these programs stand in our way," Schumer said. "We'll work with the mayor, we'll work with the Coast Guard, we'll work with the county and the state to do everything we can so things are in tip-top shape."
The USS The Sullivans started taking on water late Wednesday night into Thursday when a breach in the hull of the ship occurred somewhere beyond the mid-section of the ship toward the right rear.
Crews have been working non-stop to pump out water to avoid the ship sinking any further, while also pumping out oil to avoid any further contamination of the water in the Buffalo Harbor.
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