NIMBY Threatens Opening of Construction Sand Mine in South Carolina

By: Lydia Larsen
Source: The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) (TNS)

As one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, Jasper County, needs a lot of sand.

Sand is needed to satisfy the demand of a construction industry that uses truckloads of the material each day when pouring concrete slabs that support precast and tilt up buildings now becoming commonplace along Interstate 95’s shipping corridor as well as residential housing slabs and other needs.

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Plans to mine sand near a hamlet in southern Jasper County brought over 200 people to a public hearing Thursday night. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services hosted the meeting to solicit feedback on a permit request for the Monroe Tract Surface Mine. The applicant, CFH Monroe, LLC, plans a 25-acre open pit sand mine on the site, which is adjacent to a subdivision and other residential properties.

The proposal places the mine in southern Hardeeville, 30 miles west of Hilton Head near the unincorporated community of Levy.

What’s the status of the project?

This project is still in the early permitting stages, though there is another mine 2 miles from the proposed site that residents say has already disturbed their rural community. Local residents and environmentalists who spoke during the Thursday meeting cited concerns about flooding, wildlife and home values and urged DES to deny the permit.

According to the permit documents submitted to DES, the mine would have a five-year lifespan and ultimately reach 25 feet deep. After the mine has reached the end of its life, the site will become a series of ponds.

Sand is a critical component in many types of construction materials, including cement and concrete, with demand for the material is skyrocketing globally. Sand excavated from the open pits in the Monroe Tract Surface Mine would be moved to sites in the “relative vicinity” of the mine, according to the permit application. South Carolina has over 500 active mines, 15 of which are in Jasper County.

Flooding concerns

Many who spoke at the meeting said they moved to the area for its peace and rural character, not knowing that the property next door is in Hardeeville and not unincorporated Jasper County.

The City of Hardeeville annexed the property in 2011, according to Juan Singleton, a spokesperson for the city. The property is in a planned unit development that allows “light industrial” use.

Some locals said they’re already plagued by flooding and water retention issues, and that pumping water out of the mine would worsen the situation. Many are also concerned about the project’s effects on the Monkey John Swamp, a large wetland nearby.

According to residents of Osprey Lake and Carroll Estates, both nearby subdivisions, a drainage system of ditches flows through a proposed mining pit. They are concerned that the mine would change this system in a way that would cause more flooding to the area.

Vil Vaitas, a resident of Osprey Lake, said the area has flooded following a large storm before. He’s concerned that water pumped out of the mine would affect the drainage system leading to the lake at the center of the subdivision and cause his septic system to fail.

Sitting at this kitchen table the day before the meeting, Vaitas lays out photos he collected of wood storks, bald eagles and other animals he’s worried the mine would drive away.

Lisa Price, whose home is near the proposed mining site, said during public comment that following the construction of Osprey Lake, her backyard began to regularly flood after rain. She said she is concerned that the construction of the mine will exacerbate the drainage issues she already experiences.

“I am requesting that this be sternly denied, because I am busy right now trying to figure out how to get this water out of my yard,” Price said. “I don’t have time to get sand pit water out of my yard.”

Trucks and dust

The traffic and trucks that come along with sand mines are common complaints. Lorraine White lives nearby on Levy Road, which has an operational sand mine. She said what was once a quiet, residential area is now noisy and dusty due to constant truck traffic from the mine. She said the neighborhood children often can’t play outside due to the constant dust and speeding trucks.

There are five properties directly adjacent to the mining site in Osprey Lake. There is a proposed 50-foot buffer between the mining activity and the property line, but those homeowners said they were skeptical that the buffer could adequately protect their property from the noise and dust produced by the mine.

DES does not regulate truck traffic as part of the mining permit. The state Department of Transportation and county are managing those complaints, according to DES. Additionally, local zoning ordinances determine the operational hours.

The decisions won’t come until DES reviews all comments that are received through the end of the public comment period, which ends on June 6, 2025.

Calls and email to representatives from CFH Monroe, LLC were not returned by publication time.

This story will be updated with new developments.