Flood-map appeal process moving forward for Marshfield and Scituate

By Jessica Trufant The Patriot Ledger Posted Sep. 8, 2014

Updated at 11:20 PM

MARSHFIELD – The selecting of five experts to review Marshfield and Scituate’s joint appeal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new flood maps will begin soon.

An independent nonprofit, the National Institute of Building Sciences, is narrowing a list of scientists who might be chosen to serve on the review panel.

Dominique Fernandez, director of the institute, notified Marshfield and Scituate officials last week that the institute is ready to initiate the selection of review-panel members.

Each town hired two firms with the technical expertise necessary to appeal the maps, which expand flood zones and drastically increase water elevations. Because of the maps, many property owners will have to start buying pricey insurance coverage.

While the maps for many communities in Massachusetts have gone into effect, maps for Plymouth County have been delayed until next year while FEMA deals with the appeals filed by Marshfield, Scituate and Duxbury.

The National Institute of Building Sciences, an independent, nonprofit organization, will provide a list of 10 to 15 qualified experts to serve on the Marshfield-Scituate resolution panel.

The towns have an advantage in the selection of the scientists.

“Typically, the community selects a majority of the five-member panel, or three members, and FEMA the minority of the members,” Fernandez said in an email to Marshfield officials. “However, since this is a joint appeal, the towns of Marshfield and Scituate will select four of the five-member panel and FEMA will select one.”

Marshfield Town Administrator Rocco Longo said new federal legislation passed in March, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, modified the appeals process so it leans in favor of the towns in the selection of experts.

“Under this law, it maintains the credibility of the process so that it isn’t in the control of FEMA. It’s in the hands of technical and scientific professionals, and that I’m pleased with,” Longo said. “The scientists are neutral, and they’ll argue science and facts. It’s not political.”

Longo said the towns will likely work together with the firms they hired to select four experts for the panel, which will present a written report with its decision and rationale to FEMA and towns within 150 days of being convened.

If changes to the maps are made, FEMA will incorporate the changes into revised preliminary flood insurance rate maps and studies, and it will make them available to the community with a resolution letter.

If the towns aren’t satisfied with the panel’s recommendation, they will have the option of appealing in federal court.

Jessica Trufant may be reached at jtrufant@ledger.com.

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