Controversial beachfront sand mining operation along Monterey Bay to close
The last coastal sand mine in the United States, a facility on Monterey Bay that scientists say has caused significant erosion of beaches in the area, will close in three years under a settlement agreement announced Tuesday with California officials.
An Evaluation of the Ongoing Impacts of Sand Mining at the CEMEX Lapis Sand Plant in Marina, California on the Southern Monterey Bay Shoreline; By Robert S. Young, PhD
The City of Marina commissioned this report to assist in its management and decision‐making for coastal property and resources within the City’s jurisdiction. This report provides a review and synthesis of available documentary information and scientific literature addressing the impact of current sand mining activities within southern Monterey Bay.
Monterey Bay, California: Beach Sand Mining from a National Marine Sanctuary; By Gary Griggs
The 30-mile long, continuous sandy shoreline around Monterey Bay is the most visited stretch of shoreline on the central coast. Yet, it holds the dubious distinction of being the only active beach sand mining operation along the entire United States shoreline. To make matters even worse, it all takes place along the shoreline of a protected National Marine Sanctuary. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.
Beach Sand Mining in Monterey Bay Causes a Dustup
California’s Monterey Bay boasts one of the nation’s most protected coastlines, situated within a federal sanctuary that imposes bans on everything from Jet Skis to offshore drilling. Yet most days, hundreds of tons of sand are harvested from one of its most picturesque beaches, in a mining operation now coming under increased state and local scrutiny.
Bainbridge asks state agencies to follow up on permit for sand mining on Triangle Property
As many as five sand mines operated along the shoreline of the Monterey bay, CA, throughout the last century, scraping sand directly off of the beach. CEMEX extracted about 200,000 yds3 of sand from this back beach pond every year. Captions and Photograph courtesy of: © Gary Griggs Excerpts; Neighbors to the mining site known […]
Sweetwater Authority eyes sand mining, material dredging opportunities, CA
The board of the Sweetwater Authority is interested in sand mining and material dredging opportunities in and around the South Bay water agency’s two reservoirs.
Corporate Sand Mining In SF Bay Sparks ‘Sand Wars’
Six years ago, nonprofit environmental advocacy organization San Francisco Baykeeper sued sand-mining firm Hanson Marine Operations and the State Lands Commission to stop sand mining in the Bay. However, in November, an appeals court judge sided with the State Lands Commission and the sand mining company.
California’s Coastal Harbors, Beach Compartments and Sand Dredging; By Gary Griggs
Every year the dredge at the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor along central California’s northern Monterey Bay sucks up about 250,000 cubic yards of sand, on average, from the entrance channel and pumps it out onto Twin Lakes Beach where it continues its journey down coast. If it were put in dump trucks, it would fill about 25,000 of them, but the waves can move all that sand without any human labor, and without any noise or carbon emissions.
Sewage spill closes eight Monterey beaches, CA
A massive sewage spill at the Monterey One Water wastewater treatment facility early Saturday morning has closed eight beaches. Approximately 4.9 million gallons of sewage spilled from the wastewater treatment facility.