Southampton's proposal to close sand mines near homes divides town

Southampton Town has unveiled a new plan to end sand mining in residential areas, sparking fierce debate among environmentalists and tradespeople over a lucrative industry that plays a key role in the region's economy.

Town officials have introduced legislation to wind down sand mines through a process called amortization, in which the mines are phased out over a seven-year period.

Environmentalists say sand mining is harmful to the aquifer, the sole source of Long Island's drinking water supply. Because sand acts as a filter protecting the aquifer, excavations can expose the water table to harmful pollutants, environmentalists have said.

From Hempstead to the Hamptons, drinking water quality is a flashpoint issue. Long Island's aquifer has become increasingly taxed by development and overpumping, studies have shown. In 2021, the state Department of Environmental Conservation launched work on a new study to investigate the impact of sand mining on the quality of Long Island's groundwater. The review is halfway done, the agency said.

Construction and mining workers said the change would devastate their business, increase truck traffic and drive up the price of materials in which sand is a key element, including concrete and asphalt. 

The emerging conflict pits interest groups backing two precious resources — water and sand — against one another.

An overflow crowd packed Southampton Town Hal l at a recent meeting  that included supporters and opponents.

Some celebrated the prospect of sand mining closures.

“We’ve heard for decades that these mines would close down. … It was always just one more permit extension,” said Elena Loreto, 74, a former president of the Noyac Civic Council who spoke in support of the measure.

But Louis Grausso, of Huntington Ready Mixed Concrete Inc., which has a Speonk mine, warned the measure would increase costs for all Long Island residents.

“Everyone wants and needs our products in ways they may not even realize,” he said at the hearing on Dec. 10. "If local sand becomes scarce, it could result in price hikes and incentivize illegal mining."

History of mining

Sand is a crucial ingredient that's used to make concrete and asphalt, prevent slippery roads during snowstorms and replenish badly eroded beaches.

By the 1980s, Southampton Town had revamped its zoning laws to grandfather in existing sand mines, said Kathleen Murray, Southampton's deputy town attorney.

Amortization is a zoning tool Southampton Town has used to phase out billboards — in 1975 — and nightclubs — in 2004, Murray said.

There are 21 sand mines in Suffolk County, and six active mines are in Southampton Town, according to the DEC. Southampton has the most of any town on Long Island.

All of Southampton's sand mines "could be impacted" by the legislation, Town Attorney James Burke wrote in an email. The bill targets mines in residential zones and within a special groundwater protection area, Burke said.

Municipal officials have struggled with how to regulate sand mines. In 2020, then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed legislation that would have afforded municipalities more control over sand mines, Newsday has reported.

After a lengthy legal battle, the state’s highest court annulled permits for the Sand Land mine in Noyac in 2023, Newsday previously reported.

Grausso, 33, of Huntington Ready Mixed, said existing regulatory measures are effective. “They are not letting us mine owners do anything that would be deemed unacceptable for the environment,” he said of state regulators.

Huntington Ready Mixed is one of four Suffolk mines participating in a three-year voluntary groundwater monitoring program with the DEC. Officials with the agency said the study is halfway complete and so far, "has not raised significant concerns about impacts to water quality as a direct result of mining activities."

But environmental advocates said the risk is too serious a threat.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a Farmingdale nonprofit, criticized current levels of oversight.

Southampton has a special groundwater protection zone, one of nine designated on Long Island where limited development is recommended to allow water to soak deep into the aquifer so it can replenish the groundwater supply.

To allow sand mining in such areas is counterintuitive, Esposito said.

"That area is where the rainwater can recharge and replenish the underground aquifer," Esposito said. "What are we doing? We’re sand mining on top of that area, digging down closer to the groundwater source.”

Southampton residents get their water from public wells operated by the Suffolk County Water Authority or Hampton Bays Water District. Other properties are connected to private wells.

A 2024 water quality report on the authority's website lists no violations for compounds detected in Southampton's water. A 2023 Hampton Bays Water District drinking water quality report notes that "generally, the water quality of the aquifer is good to excellent, although there are localized areas of contamination" that are treated before the water is delivered to customers.

Ron Paulsen, 69, of Hampton Bays, a hydrogeologist, said the aquifer is “under siege.” 

“You can’t truck in water,” he said at the town board meeting. “You can truck in any ... building material you want.”

In a statement, the DEC said it “closely monitors activities at all permitted sand mining facilities on Long Island to ensure the protection of public health, water quality, and the environment.” The agency conducts site inspections and enforces violations of the law, the statement said.

Phased-in plan

The town will give sand mine operators time to finish excavations if the DEC had already approved permits for the work.

For cases in which 90% of the approved excavation has been completed, operators will have one year to wind down operations, according to the bill. The town will give operators up to three years if 75% of the work is done; and up to five years when half the approved work has taken place. Operators of mines will have up to seven years to close if less than half the approved work has occurred.

Operators can appeal to the town zoning board for extensions, according to the bill.

At the Dec. 10 hearing, Sand Land Corp. owner John Tintle said that since closing last year, there is “no longer enough gravel to meet the concrete needs on the South Fork.” 

Others said the move would unfairly target blue-collar workers and potentially eliminate jobs.

“It’s no secret that our local working class is struggling on a daily basis to afford to live here and this board is now doing more to hurt that segment of our community,” said Don Mahoney, of Southampton.

Political infighting

Cyndi McNamara, the lone Republican on the five-member board, said Democrats introduced the measure before seeking input from members of the affected industries.

“If we run out of sand here, we’re in really big trouble,” McNamara said in an interview.

Last month, Southampton Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle spoke out against the proposal. He said sand is a key part of the department's function, which is to build sidewalks and prepare town roads for snowstorms.

If mines are closed, “my budget will go through the roof,” he said.

The public hearing on the proposal is expected to continue on Jan. 28. An environmental review is also expected to take place in the new year, officials said.

Supervisor Maria Moore said amortization wouldn’t shut down mines overnight.

“We don't want to hurt anyone, put them out of business, [or] take away their ability to see their profit. But at some point, some of these more noxious uses … should come to an end,” Moore said in an interview. “I really don’t want to wait until there’s evidence of contamination before we take any action.”