Latest news with #sand
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Jersey Shore beach replenishment funds threatened by proposed federal budget cuts
Jersey Shore beaches may soon be short on sand. Proposed federal budget cuts could slash spending for replenishment. Some visitors to Brick Beach feel it is already lacking sand. "We need some sand," Anthony Badalamenti said. "It's only about 30 feet, right?" The Army Corps of Engineers started pumping sand to the shore in Brick Township Tuesday. They're planning to add about 100 more feet of sand in the blanket zone. "The beach will probably be three times as wide as it is now," Brick Township engineer and flood plain manager Elissa Commins said. "The ocean is one our township's most valuable and natural resources ... it's a huge economic draw for Ocean County." The beach adds a layer of protection between the sea, which can be destructive at times, and homes and businesses just over the dunes, like Burke's Market in Bayhead. "It'll destroy us, and it has before," owner Jacquelyn Burke said. Burke appreciates the sand, but is hoping for longer-term solutions. "To keep and retain the beach for the future," Burke said. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. warns that projects like the sand replenishment could be on the chopping block. The House appropriations committee just advanced a bill which cuts funding. "It's almost down to nothing. It was $200 million last year. Now it's down to 15 specifically dedicated to beach replenishment," Pallone said. "This money is put in place, and these projects are put in place, to prevent the roads, the boardwalks, the businesses, the homes from being totally destroyed in the event of another storm." Commins said the majority of funding for Brick's beach replenishment came from the federal government. "Without the 65% federal funding, these beach replenishment projects would never be initiated at the state, local level," Commins said. The cuts are not a done deal. "It won't go to the floor of the House of Representatives until the fall," Pallone said. Pallone said constituents can fight for replenishment fund by spreading the message on social media and sending emails or letters to elected officials.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Oilfield service group says relief from counter-tariffs on U.S. sand ‘fantastic news'
A sand dune is backdropped by Atlas Energy plant at the beginning of a 68-kilometre conveyor belt that carries sand needed for hydraulic fracturing Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Kermit, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) CALGARY — The federal government is offering Canadian oil and gas drillers counter-tariff reprieve on the vast amounts of sand they import from the United States. The sand is used in the hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — process to help free resources trapped in hard-to-access shale formations deep underground. It's among the imported U.S. goods on which Canada has imposed a surcharge in retaliation for President Donald Trump's flurry of tariffs. Sand from Wisconsin meets the specs needed by Canadian drillers, and the lion's share of what they use is brought in from the Midwestern state. A federal order published in the Canada Gazette newsletter this week says relief is available for companies that import silica and quartz sand, among other products. Gurpreet Lail, the chief executive of industry group Enserva, says it's fantastic news, as the counter-tariffs on sand alone would have cost industry $275 million a year. --- Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Coastal erosion at Central Coast
Wamberal residents are nervous about waves washing away the sand, despite council's protection works this morning.
BBC News
28-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New quarry planned off M50 at Ripple as residents express dismay
A new quarry could be dug near the Worcestershire-Gloucestershire border, despite claims its boundary would be just metres from homes and listed is asking for permission to dig sand and gravel for a three-year period on a site near its previous Ripple Quarry, close to the villages of Ripple and firm said the new site, just off the M50 motorway, would provide raw material to keep its nearby Ryall works supplied in the coming years.A Worcestershire County Council committee will discuss the application on Wednesday with planners recommending it be approved. Materials would be dug to a depth of up to 5.5m (18ft) across an area of 11.3 hectares (28 acres).They would be transported by barge about two miles up the River Severn to Cemex's Ryall concrete plant, a report to councillors quarrying finished, it is proposed that the site be restored to lake and wetland as with the neighbouring proposals have been under consultation with neighbouring communities since 2022. Ripple Parish Council has called for the application to be refused, saying it was "dismayed" that plans had been brought forward for "yet another" sand and gravel extraction facility in the site boundary would be just 25m (82ft) from the nearest listed building and close to two conservation areas, in contrast to the current farmland which provided a "buffer" for the village. Neighbouring Twyning Town Council, in Gloucestershire, shared similar opposition to the Tewkesbury Town Council said it would not oppose the scheme, as the continued use of barges on the Severn to transport materials would avoid increased traffic on its County Council's planning committee is being recommended to approve the plans, subject to an agreement for the site to be subject to a five-year aftercare and management plan when quarrying stops. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Australia's beaches show off the unique journey and makeup of sand
Aussies love the beach and with our nation ringed by coastline, it's easy to see why. But have you ever looked closely at the sand and wondered how it got there? Every grain tells a story of time and transformation. While it may look pale from afar, up close it's a colourful mix of minerals and fragments. University of WA school of earth sciences professor Annette George says, in geology terms, sand refers to "particles between 0.6 and 2 millimetres". To unlock its secrets, you need to magnify it. Professor George says much of our beach sand starts as inland rock, broken down and carried by rivers to the coast. "Once that sediment reaches the coast, the material gets distributed by waves and currents." In Geraldton, 420 kilometre north of Perth, the beach near Chapman River has pink, sparkly grains that have come from rocks further inland carried by the river — linking bush to beach in a dynamic cycle. Under the microscope, these grains resemble tiny, intricate rocks. Marine engineer Wade Greenaway says about 60 per cent of Geraldton's fine sand is biogenic (produced by living organisms) and is formed from marine life in seagrass meadows. "Little creatures break down in seagrass beds. Seagrasses are really important. They're a sediment source," Mr Greenaway says. "Limestone is a bit more of an ancient material but that does break down as well." No two beaches are the same. "For nine months of the year the sand moves from south to north and that's typical of the WA coastline," Mr Greenaway says. "As the infrastructure on the coast has built up, it causes that interference with that long shore drift." He says to restore balance, Midwest Ports transfers sand each year between beaches. "When the port and wharf expanded, it blocked that natural flow, causing sand to build up," Mr Greenaway says. "It's like a conveyor belt — we now have to manually feed it to restore natural sediment pathways." Midwest Ports also monitors sand composition annually. "We're measuring the size and makeup of the sand to understand beach conditions like wind or wave energy," Mr Greenaway says. "It supports our sand bypassing program and helps maintain consistency across the coastline." Geraldton's coastal dynamics have long shaped its development. Mr Greenaway's late grandfather, Gordon Greenaway, recalled sediment issues as far back as the early 20th century, when the railway jetty first altered natural sand movement. Chosen as a port in the 1850s for its natural harbour, Geraldton has evolved, with deeper berths and regular dredging to suit larger ships. Wade Greenaway says people often overlooked the complex, shifting nature of beaches. "You always hear people say the beach isn't where it used to be, but it's always changing. We only see a small snapshot in our lifetimes," he says. The story of sand doesn't stop at the shoreline. Professor George says, over time, sand grains may become sandstone, rise again through geological uplift, and erode, starting the cycle anew. "Once buried [1.5 to 2km below the Earth's surface] the sand basically becomes a rock and it keeps being buried," she says. "Then eventually if it's lucky enough it will come back up to Earth's surface and then that process begins again." As Mr Greenaway puts it, managing sand sustainably is vital: not just for ports, but for preserving the natural beauty we all love.
