The NewsRoom
Release: 4029
Date: September 11, 2009

Federal Offshore Sand to Renourish Florida Beaches

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) will convey 1.3 million cubic yards of sand from the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to Brevard County, Fla. to help shore up its eroding beaches.

The project will restore sand to 3.8 miles of publicly accessible shoreline in the South Reach area of Brevard County, approximately 25 miles south of Cape Canaveral. The shoreline suffered significant erosion as a result of Tropical Storm Fay in 2008.

“Loss of sand from Florida’s beaches has an enormous impact on the local economy,” said MMS Director Liz Birnbaum. “Since 2002, our Marine Minerals Program has provided nearly 7 million cubic yards of Federal OCS sand to renourish beaches in Florida.”

The MMS signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Brevard County Board of Commissioners and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) authorizing the non-competitive use of OCS sand for this project. The ACOE, Jacksonville District, will dredge the sand from an area on the OCS about five miles offshore Cape Canaveral Air Station and transport the sand to the project site. There, it will either be pumped from the dredge ship directly to the beach nourishment area, or offloaded at a temporary re-handling site.

Contact:
    Leann Bullin   (703) 787-1755

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior

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Last Updated: 09/11/2009, 01:14 PM Central Time