Contact: Edie Heipel, Edie.Heipel@mail.house.gov

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna issued the following statement Friday afternoon after news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied Pinellas County’s request for a waiver to complete the Sand Key Beach renourishment project:

“The Corps’ announcement today comes in response to a request for a waiver that was initiated internally by the local Army Corps Office last August, before I was elected to Congress. I appreciate that the local office recognizes this absurdity and it’s unfortunate that the D.C. bureaucrats denied this request from their local office.

The Army Corps is playing games with the property rights of citizens at the expense of Pinellas County’s economy, environment, and endangered species. The Corps’ announcement today is especially disappointing as my office has been asking Army Corps since January to explain their sudden policy reversal and, to date, they’ve stonewalled us.

Good thing we anticipated their childish behavior and are working on several other legislative routes to get the Sand Key project completed on schedule. Since being sworn into Congress in January, this issue has been the top priority in my office and will continue to be so.

Bureaucrats have no business strong-arming private citizens over their property rights. This fight is far from over.”