A sand mine that has been operating since the very beginning of the 20th century has finally been shut down by California regulators. The site of the facility will be returned to more natural conditions.
Paul Rogers reports: "The last coastal sand mine in the United States, a Monterey Bay plant 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."
The facility, the CEME Lapis plant has been operating with a license from the state, "claiming that its operations pre-date state laws such as the 1976 Coastal Act," according to Rogers. The facility produces an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 cubic yards of sand a year.
The turning point in the state's protracted battle against the facility came in May 2017, when the California State Lands Commission threatened legal action against the company. "The company already was under investigation from the California Coastal Commission and was facing years of protracted litigation and potential fines," according to Rogers.
For more on the end of the last coastal sand mine in the United States from the standpoint of some of the advocates who fought the facility, see a post by Jennifer Savage for the Surfrider Foundation.
Read the full story: Controversial beachfront sand mining operation along Monterey Bay to close
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