Documentary aims to end Marina’s Cemex plant

Beyond being a part of the pristine coastline, sand is something we can’t live without — “the glass on our cars, the filters that we use to clean our waters, the concrete that we use to make our roads, and our buildings,” said coastal geomorphologist David Revell.

That’s exactly why the Cemex plant is mining in Marina and not paying the city a dollar for it.

“Our Monterey Bay area is world renowned, and it’s being treated like a mine pit,” Marina mayor Bruce Delgado said.

The California Coastal Commission sent Cemex a cease and desist letter almost a year ago, but Delgado said the plant has ramped up its operations instead.

“They are coming and going all day on a regular basis. Some said they’ve watched trucks come every 15 minutes,” Delgado said.

Scientists believe the beaches in Monterey bay would expand without sand mining.

“That’s accelerated the erosion to turn what would be a natural growing into a loss of beach, a loss of shoreline and erosion of the dunes on the order of 4-6 feet per year,” Revlll said.

For the next month, non-profit Save Our Shores is sending envelopes of sand from the mine to call on public officials to take action.

“It’s still being violated, so I believe the Coastal Commission and the county have to put into action to enforce those regulations,” Monterey resident Aide Rodriguez said.

In response to previous protests, Cemex issued a statement saying it’s committed to “operating in a sustainable and conscientious way”. The city of Marina said it is in contact with the Coastal Commission and it’s hoping to an update by this summer.