California Coastal Commission set to make final vote on sand mining in Marina

The California Coastal Commission is meeting at 9:00 a.m. Thursday at CSUMB to make a final vote on an agreement aimed to end sand mining in Marina within the next three years. In the Agreement, CEMEX would cease operations within that time frame. After that they would have an additional three years to restore the land back to how it was before they were here and then transfer that property to an approved non-profit or governmental entity for conservation and possibly even public access. This has been a long time coming for Monterey Surfrider Foundation Chair, Kevin Miller.

The foundation was involved in a report on coastal erosion back in 2008 and for the last three years they have fought to close the sand mine down.

“We think this agreement is probably the best deal we are going to get. We will still be really engaged in this until a snowy plover is resting where the mine use to be. This is the coastal act and democracy in progress,” said Monterey Surfrider Foundation Chair Kevin Miller.

CEMEX has been blamed for coastal erosion on the Central Coast, however they say that oversimplifies the issue. The Mexican based company has already agreed to the terms of the shutdown. If approved by the Coastal Commission, it will head to the State Lands Commission for a vote.