The Demand for Sand is so High There are Illegal Sand Mining Operations

Sand isn’t just for beaches. The tiny grains show up in many products of the industrialized world: in the glass and concrete that build cities, in detergents and cosmetics that people use daily, and in the silicon chips and solar panels of advanced technology. But sand comes from rocks that take thousands of years to erode into fine particles, and humans are using it faster than they should.

Former Liberia Minister Ponders Lawsuit Over Buchanan Ongoing Beach Sand Mining

The ongoing beach sand mining in Buchanan communities seem to be undermining government’s and her partners collective efforts to prevent reoccurrence of the devastation of sea erosion in Buchanan City. “On a daily basis, trucks are seen hauling sand from the beach… this is scary and environmentally dangerous.”

BCDC Approves Sand Mining Permit in San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) unanimously approved a 10-year mining permit for sand removal from San Francisco Bay, and from two other areas near Suisun. The amount of sand the permit requests is 15 times greater than the annual amount of sand that comes into the bay from the delta.

Sand Mining Photo Gallery

Sand Mining Photo Gallery The world’s beaches are being mined for sand for a variety of uses (aggregate in concrete, fill, beach renourishment). The practice is often very destructive and poorly managed (or unmanaged). This is a global phenomenon (Morocco, Caribbean Islands, India, South Africa and more). This theft of beach and dune sand is […]

Sand Mining Threatens South Africa’s Coast

The time has come for the government to consider a total ban on any sand mining in South African rivers to curb serious environmental damage and the growing risk of severe erosion damage to coastal cities like Durban.