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November 3, 2009
For immediate release

Commercial Sand Mining Regulations Revoked

Environment, Energy & Forestry

Regulatory changes approved by the province will stop commercial sand mining on Prince Edward Island beaches, Environment, Energy and Forestry Minister Richard Brown says.

Minister Brown said that cabinet had revoked the Sand Removal from Beaches Regulations under the Environmental Protection Act and had made amendments to the Watercourse and Wetland Protection Regulations in order to allow the removal of small amounts of sand for personal use.

“The Island’s beaches are important areas and critically important in the protection of our shorelines from erosion. Commercial sand removal undermines the ability of beaches to protect shores from water and wave damage,” said the minister. “By limiting sand removal to small amounts intended for personal use, we will help sustain the health of our shorelines.”

The amendments to the Watercourse and Wetland Protection Regulations will allow for sand removal to occur from beaches without a permit if:

• the sand is hauled directly from the beach to the point of use (no stockpiling)

• it is loaded manually without the use of heavy equipment

• removal occurs below the mean high-water mark

• it is hauled off the beach in a small capacity vehicle (such as half-ton truck) with a volume of sand not exceeding one cubic metre

Sand removal using heavy equipment will still be allowed in cases where removal is necessary to improve navigation in and out of harbours.

With the exception of removal to aid navigation, no permits for sand removal have been issued on Prince Edward Island since 2008.

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Media Contact: Ron Ryder
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