Southampton Passes Law to Phase Out Nonconforming Sand Mines

The Southampton Town Board has passed a local law that will phase out non-conforming sand mines in residential districts.

Following three months of public discussion and deliberation, the board voted on Tuesday, April 8, to pass the resolution which mandates the amortization of the town’s sand mines that have long operated outside the town’s zoning laws.

“It is the policy of the Town Board to protect the Town’s supply of drinking water in its pristine state, and to prevent the degradation of this valuable and essential resource,” the law reads.

All of Southampton’s drinking water comes from underground aquifers, and sand mining is considered to pose a threat to drinking water quality. According to the law, the State Legislature has found that groundwater contamination is increasing, and that this pollution, once it occurs, is “often irreversible.”

At the first public hearing in December, one resident of Bridgehampton, Chris Coy, called the legislation sensible and voiced his approval. “If we kill that golden goose, by spoiling that only source of clean water we have, our local economy and the health of our community will be headed for collapse,” he said. “Maintaining the health of our community and the viability of our economy is more important than the cost of construction sand.”

However, others were against the measure. Louis Grausso, from Huntington Ready Mix, said the law is cutting short the town. “Sand is the second most consumed resource next to water,” he said. “”Everyone wants and needs our products in ways they may not even realize.” He added that Southampton will face a sand crisis one day, and shutting down the current operators will only make it worse and drive up the prices while incentivizing illegal mining.

The new law targets sand mines located in residential areas and a special groundwater protection area. The move follows three separate public hearings, during which local residents encouraged the board to pass the law, often citing worries over their drinking water quality.

Notably, no new sand mine has been allowed in Southampton in 40 years, which has made the existing ones nonconforming for decades.

Under the law, the affected sand mines will receive notices of termination, and it provides a timeline based on how much sand has been excavated from each mine.

For those that have already excavated 90% or more of the sand, the mines must close within one year. If 75%-90% has been excavated, then it must close within three years. For mines with 50%-75% percent excavated, the deadline is five years. Lastly, those that are less than 50% excavated have seven years to shut down.

Operators, once they receive a notice, will have six months to contest it with the Zoning Board of Appeals and request additional time to terminate.