Sand stolen across Caribbean for construction

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Conchman

Conchman

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Sand often moves naturally, via erosion from waves and currents, just how some beaches get created like in Sosua near Waterfront restaurant, that never existed before.

Do you have specific evidence that sand was moved by equipment?
 
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Chip

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I doubt that beach sand is being stolen for construction use in the DR because of it's high salt content it will have to be washed and because the grains are all relatively the same size it must be mixed with other sand. All in all a lot of work is needed to convert it to a viable sand used for construction.

If it is being used as it is at some point the company that provides this inferior sand would go out of business as it's customers would see that the cement created with this sand was failing.
 
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Johanfitz

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When you see condominiums, pool decks, gardens, where once stood high sand dunes. Something is not right. Plus I have seen truck loads being hauled out, and off the beaches for years. Come on. Get your head out of the sand. Whether for construction, or fill, is not important to me. The loss of the beach's is.
 
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dms3611

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Ditto what Conchman and Chip stated....

They are not moving dunes of salt contaminated sand for construction. It is NOT happening. Sea erosion happens. If you tell me they moved sand from the dunes to a new resort to build a beach ...then at least that idea has merit. No one is stealing beach sand from the dominican and sending it to other nations in the Carib also. Not happening.
 
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Johanfitz

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OK I concede to you all. The trucks of sand I seen pulling out in front of the police station at Cabarete was taking too another beach for renovation. And the Condos there when they collapse into ocean. It will be due to beach erosion off coarse.

As for the 60mts, mark for construction. I see that is being adhered too, Plus only two stories to a building on the ocean is upheld also. I'm out.
 
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jrhartley

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wasnt sand brought in in the first place to build up Cabaretes beach at one time.....so more than likely its being eroded
 
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Johanfitz

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Can't resist.
Back about five posts. I mentioned 20ft. sand dunes. I'm not exadurating one bit. Just ask Hans Nanny. They where natural, God given wind blown sand dunes. Yes it was 23years ago. But what's 23 years. When it took eons to be put there.
 
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Chip

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Johanfitz said:
Can't resist.
Back about five posts. I mentioned 20ft. sand dunes. I'm not exadurating one bit. Just ask Hans Nanny. They where natural, God given wind blown sand dunes. Yes it was 23years ago. But what's 23 years. When it took eons to be put there.
Click to expand...

That has little to do with anything because I grew up near a Folly Beach in SC and in the course of 20 years it lost at least 100 feet of beach frontage, all naturally.
 
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Lambada

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Johanfitz said:
Plus I have seen truck loads being hauled out, and off the beaches for years.
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I thought everyone knew that it used to be common practice to use beach sand in construction here. Not by good contractors, but by the shoddy ones and/or the ones who got the Government or municipal contracts because they never knew when or if they were going to be paid so........they cut corners. Which probably accounts for so many schools in Puerto Plata having the sort of damage they did after the 2003 earthquake. And, interestingly, well built houses right next door to said schools had no damage at all.

Probably there is less of it now than when we were here first. But I can recall discussing the salt issue with a truck driver removing beach sand, years ago & he said his next stop was to the river to wash it! :rolleyes:
 
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mike l

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I guess washing beach sand, is the DR version of panning for gold!

But with a dump truck and a bigger pan.

I just had to.
 
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Bob Boyd

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No one on the North Coast has been able to slow or stop the removal of sand off of the beaches in Las Canas, Gaspar Hernandez! This has been an ongoing problem for years and now is to the point of property owners with ocean front properties losing 8 to 10mt. of property and having to build large stone sea walls to save their properties. The truck count is 80 to 100 large trucks per day, sometimes starting at 4AM, working 7 days a week. Since the election, it's getting worse, with mining in 3 areas and the destruction of the last dunes. As to the question of if it’s being used for construction, you just have to follow the trucks. They deliver to block plants, ferreter?as and construction sites. Even with the new crack down by the environmental department in Santo Domingo, nothing has changed.
 
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Chip

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Bob Boyd said:
No one on the North Coast has been able to slow or stop the removal of sand off of the beaches in Las Canas, Gaspar Hernandez! This has been an ongoing problem for years and now is to the point of property owners with ocean front properties losing 8 to 10mt. of property and having to build large stone sea walls to save their properties. The truck count is 80 to 100 large trucks per day, sometimes starting at 4AM, working 7 days a week. Since the election, it's getting worse, with mining in 3 areas and the destruction of the last dunes. As to the question of if it?s being used for construction, you just have to follow the trucks. They deliver to block plants, ferreter?as and construction sites. Even with the new crack down by the environmental department in Santo Domingo, nothing has changed.
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Would you mind naming a few of these when you get a chance so we know not where to buy construction products from?
 
NALs

NALs

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In the DR stealing sand from beaches for construction is not a major problem; it does occur and it is a problem in those beach areas that are affected, but overall its not a major widespread problem.

Oh, but before you are tempted to respond to this post, let me explain why.

Well, its because much of the sand that is stolen in the DR for construction is taken from the riverbeds and the sand dunes in Ban?. In fact, environmentalist have been warning of the consequences for years.

The DR has more and longer rivers than any other island in the Caribbean and this perhaps explains the relatively lack of beach sands theft.

-NALs
 
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Johanfitz

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Thank you Lambada. I think these pinheads who think all that sand moved naturally have there heads in whats left of it.
OK all you thin skinned pinheads. I'm making lite a bit of a serious problem. its been a pet peeve of mine most of my life growing up on the ocean. Excuse my pinhead doo, doo.
 
Conchman

Conchman

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Johanfitz said:
Thank you Lambada. I think these pinheads who think all that sand moved naturally have there heads in whats left of it.
OK all you thin skinned pinheads. I'm making lite a bit of a serious problem. its been a pet peeve of mine most of my life growing up on the ocean. Excuse my pinhead doo, doo.
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Sand does move naturally all the time.....why don't you check with any coastal engineer or are you one of these environmentalists that DON'T BOTHER TO CHECK WITH FACTS?
 
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Johanfitz

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Excuse me. But I am already very aware of how the sand moves. It was I who asked the engineers not too built the groins [20 years ago] on each end of Cabarete. , So that the natural flow of sand could flow. That if they stop this flow? The sand in Cabarete would disapear. Bingo! I'm not sure if you seen the barges here two years ago off loading all that stuff. I think it was sand? Maybe I will go ask the "COASTAL ENGINEERS" what that stuff was. Where where these "COASTAL ENGINEERS" Then?
No where in any of my posts says any thing about taking the sand from beach. It's the Dunes Pinhead. The dunes 20Ft. Dunes are gone.
 
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catcherintherye

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Of course beach sand shifts naturally. But its natural shifting does not preclude that it can also be stolen and moved mechanically.

Anyone who reasons that there cannot be theft of sand because it moves naturally is simply looking for a way to excuse or overlook the practice of stealing beach sand.

I don’t believe the jerk-knee dismissive responses to johanfitz's thoughtful and considerate post. What is up with all the immediate and unwarrented negativity here?
 
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expatsooner

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I'm not sure if this is legit or not but I heard that some of the sand is taken away and used in the building/maintence of golf courses as well, although this wouldn't be that large of a problem in the amount of sand taken away. But it all adds up I guess.
 
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