CCC Votes Unanimously For Closure of CEMEX Plant
July 2017

The California Coastal Commission and CEMEX have come to an agreement to close down the sand mining operation over the next six years. (Photo: Steve Zmak).

On July 12, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to approve a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) for the CEMEX Lapis plant in Marina. This is the last coastal sand mining operation in the United States. The CCC agreement will halt sand mining in three years and close the business in six. Ventana Chapter has been following studies on the erosion of the shoreline around CEMEX since 2008. The shoreline from Monterey to the Salinas River is currently eroding at about 4 feet per year as a result of mining activity from this 104-acre plant site. This sand extraction and dredging operation is the largest human contributing factor to erosion on the California coastline.

The CCC has been looking into CEMEX for possible violations of the Coastal Act for the last few years. In March, 2016 the CCC threatened to issue the CDO over the violations and the two parties have been in negotiations ever since. On June 27, Marina announced a series of agreements had been reached with CEMEX and the three entities pursuing varying legal remedies.

Also at the meeting, the CCC granted approval to the application by State Parks for building a camping facility on Fort Ord Dunes State Park despite concern from speakers about possible contamination of the site due to lead bullets left over from Fort Ord's many years as an army training facility.