Sand is so important, people kill for it; plus more facts and figures about one of California’s greatest resources
Summer seems incomplete without a day at the beach with your toes in the sand. We know you’re there to relax and not think about much, but here are a few facts about sand.
Coastal Commission approves agreement to close last beach sand mining operation in mainland U.S.
The California Coastal Commission on Thursday unanimously approved an agreement to end the mining of beach sand in Monterey County — the last operation of its type in the mainland United States.
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.
Concrete, or Beaches? World’s Sand Running Out As Global Construction Booms
A crucial component of concrete, sand is vital to the global construction industry.
The Economist explains: Why there is a shortage of sand
It may be plentiful, but so is the demand for it.
Ignoring state threats, firm keeps sucking sand from Monterey Bay
The Lapis Sand Plant, in operation since 1906, is the nation’s last coastal sand mine. The California Coastal Commission has threatened to close the plant, but the company refuses to relinquish its claim to the uniquely coarse amber-colored Monterey sand, which it calls “Lapis Lustre.” But Cemex is the world’s second largest building materials company, and any attempt to kick it out is likely to immerse the state in years of expensive litigation.
Marina: Nation’s last coastal sand mine might be shut down by Coastal Commission
The US nation’s last remaining coastal sand mine may face closure. The California Coastal Commission has put Marina’s Lapis sand mine on notice after a nearly six-year investigation into multiple violations of the state’s Coastal Act.
Coastal Sand is Being Depleted, and It’s Taking Our Beaches With It
While conservationists champion the reduction of the world’s resources, one important material right at our toes has gone largely unnoticed. Coastal sands are being heavily mined, diminishing the world’s beaches.
The Conservation Crisis No One Is Talking About
Beaches around the world are disappearing. No, the cause isn’t sea-level rise, at least not this time. It’s a little-known but enormous industry called sand mining, which every year sucks up billions of tons of sand from beaches, ocean floors, and rivers to make everything from concrete to microchips to toothpaste.