Hoyer Celebrates Piscataway Hills Day

FORT WASHINGTON, MD– Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) today joined Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III, in Fort Washington for a proclamation presentation declaring May 2, 2016 as Piscataway Hills Day. The proclamation will honor the Piscataway Hills community impacted by a slope failure that occurred in May 2014. The Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation reopened traffic in December 2015 on Piscataway Drive after reconstructing the road following the slope failure. Congressman Hoyer helped to secure federal funding to rebuild the road.  

"I'm proud to celebrate Piscataway Hills Day and mark a new beginning for this community after the devastating slope failure two years ago," said Congressman Steny Hoyer. "The more than $2 million grant from the Federal Hazard Mitigation Program that we were able to secure has enabled the County to make steady progress in the cleanup and reconstruction of this neighborhood as well as in taking steps to prevent future slope failures."

"I am pleased that work will continue without disruption to other residents along Piscataway Drive, and I appreciate the steps that Pepco, Verizon, and Comcast are taking to minimize interruptions in service during repairs," continued Congressman Hoyer. "I thank my colleagues in the Maryland Congressional delegation, as well as County Executive Baker and his administration, for making sure everyone was working on the same page to get this funding approved by FEMA as quickly as possible. I will continue to work closely with them and with the members of this community to ensure that the project is successfully completed."

The slope failure was the most expensive natural disaster in Prince George's County's history. It forced the road out of service and significantly impacted the lives of 28 families for eighteen months.