Members of the Florida delegation from both parties are calling on Congress to allow local municipalities to purchase sand from foreign counties to help fight beach erosion.
On Friday, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., along with several members of the Florida delegation, brought out the “Sand Acquisition, Nourishment and Development (SAND) Act” which “will repeal archaic law that does not allow communities to buy sand from the Bahamas and other foreign countries to replenish shorelines.” Some areas in Florida, including Miami Dade and Broward counties and parts of the Treasure Coast , currently have to bring in sand from other parts of the Sunshine State and other states to nourish their beaches.
“Replenishing our shorelines protects our jobs, our environment, and our property,” Frankel said as she introduced the bill. The proposal has the support of several local officials including Miami Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca.
Some Florida Republicans on Capitol Hill are also lining up behind the proposal with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., bringing out the Senate version of the bill last week.
“This bipartisan bill will modernize an outdated law to give the Army Corps of Engineers greater flexibility in acquiring the sand Florida beaches so desperately need," Rubio told TC Palm last week. "Beach renourishment protects our infrastructure and environment, and provides a vital buffer against hurricanes and storms. Our beautiful shores also bring visitors from across the world, and these coastlines are economic drivers for the surrounding communities."
Other members of the Florida delegation--Republican U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Brian Mast and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Democratic U.S. Reps. Charlie Crist, Ted Deutch, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Frederica Wilson--are co-sponsoring the bill in the House.
“I know the importance of our beautiful beaches to the City of Miami Beach and our whole South Florida community,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “Co-sponsoring the SAND Act is a crucial step toward ensuring that local beach renourishment projects have access to the right sand at the right cost to effectively prevent erosion that threatens homes and businesses. I will continue to work alongside my South Florida congressional delegation colleagues Lois, Carlos, Frederica, Debbie, Brian, Ted, and Charlie to protect and preserve our coasts, South Florida’s natural beauty, and one of our community’s most essential economic engines.”
“It’s time to lift the antiquated federal prohibition on replenishing Florida beaches with foreign sand,” said Wasserman Schultz. “The current law hurts Florida taxpayers through all the existing long-distance hauling costs involved. Our beaches are not only vital civic treasures for our residents, they’re also a pillar of Florida’s tourism economy. We need to give our local communities more tools to keep our beaches healthy and attractive. The SAND Act will do that.”
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