Beach contamination in Seagrove

In Blue Mountain Beach, it was actually determined that the "sand" was actually Red Clay. It was explained to me that this substance was of a whole different molecular structure than the white sand that was called for. The problems with having this type of substance goes far beyound the color of our beaches.

If the substance is of another material than the life forms that utalize it will not be able to. This will have negative impacts on the entire ecosystem. We should not feel so pompus to only look at the impact of color and bad asthetics for us humans. The living being of this ecosystem should come first.

Yes, get the media involved. Chris Mitchell with Cahnnel 13 did a good job of getting this Blue Mountain Beach issue the attention that it needed.

How does the beach look in front of Emerald Hill...
any information or photos would be much appreciated!
Thanks...

You can help in the effort to protect our beautiful yet vulnerable coastal environment even if you are not living here. The SWCC is actively involved in helping protecting our unique snow white sand beaches from incompatible dark sand.

Some of us have spent many hours over the last few months investigating and making contacts just on this particular dark sand problem at Montgomery Street.

The SWCC is an organization of volunteer residents, business owners, property owners, workers and neighborhood groups whose mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the quality of life and natural environment of South Walton County.

The SWCC is the primary citizen watchdog organization in the county and since their in inception in 1995 they have been effective in protecting our county?s natural beauty and vulnerable environment. They help keep me informed of what is happening so that I can optimize my contribution as a Walton county citizen.

Walton county is still in the develpment phase and the decisions made now will affect generations . The SWCC needs your involvement and assistance. Only you can make sure that SWCC has the adequate resources to protect our great coastal area.

http://www.southwaltoncc.org/

Thanks. I will join up immediately. It will help me, as an absentee property owner, to have another connection to South Walton.

How does the beach look in front of Emerald Hill...
any information or photos would be much appreciated!
Thanks...

Taken on Dec 02 2005. I am pretty certain this is the beach in front of Emerald Hill Condos. Here are a few other shots from that area. Look for the ones entitled Seagrove Dec 02 2005.😀

Thanks. I will join up immediately. It will help me, as an absentee property owner, to have another connection to South Walton.

I'm following in Miss Kitty's footsteps! Thank you for the info ecopal!

I'm following in Miss Kitty's footsteps! Thank you for the info ecopal!

Me too, that is horrible. Do we have to keep going throught this sand issue? I thought we had this settled. Crapola!

SJ:

Thanks for the ongoing photos. Have any of these photos showing dark sand been sent to the commissioners and others who are supposed to be enforcing the codes for light sand? I don't want to send them because they're not mine to send (but I would otherwise). The contrast between the muddy dark brown sand and the natural sand on our beaches is so clear. Thanks.

SJ:

Thanks for the ongoing photos. Have any of these photos showing dark sand been sent to the commissioners and others who are supposed to be enforcing the codes for light sand? I don't want to send them because they're not mine to send (but I would otherwise). The contrast between the muddy dark brown sand and the natural sand on our beaches is so clear. Thanks.

Feel free to use any photos which I post, as long as it is not for monetary gain. My friend who took those photos in Seagrove does not mind either.

It is my understanding that the Commissioners, Greg Graham (in charge of testing sand color), and Code Enforcement are aware of the below standard illegal sand being dumped on the dunes, but the more voices and emails sent, the better the message is understood. From what Mr Graham told my friend, the Commissioners are knowingly allowing the rules which they established to be broken. The Commissioners do not enforce the rules, but they do make them. In this case, they are telling Code Enforcement to allow the rules which they set to be broken. Shame, shame, shame.

I think the emails and phone calls should be directed to the DEP (see email addresses provided by ecopal) as well as every Walton County Commisssioner. Feel free to use the photos which I post(ed). I also have 3 or 4 sand samples taken two days ago, if needed.

From Walton Sun

Residents near the Greenwood Beach access are concerned with the use of dark sand in beach and dune restoration.
Prior to Aug. 1, the Walton Board of County Commissioners allowed a darker sand graded at 6.2 to be used in restoration projects. After complaints from residents, the standard was raised to 7.2 graded sand which then has to be capped with at least three feet of 8.1 white grade beach sand so none of the dark sand will show.
One project in the Greenwood Beach area is currently using the lower grade, darker sand and residents are worried about the darker degradation of the iconic white sand.
Kevin Hargett, code enforcement coordinator said the project was contracted out before the Aug. 1 deadline but didn?t start until recently so.
The dark sand looks worse than it is, said Hargett. He said it will whiten over time as moisture dries up and the sun takes color out of it. The dark sand will be topped off with three feet of white beach sand.
Owl?s Head Sod Farm in Freeport sells white beach grade sand for $14 a cubic yard. One cubic yard weighs around 2,200 pounds. The tan sand goes for $12 a cubic yard, said Brad Simpson, Owl?s Head business manager.
After the white sand is mined, it is washed and cleaned of all the dirt, rocks and other debris.
?When we mine it is already fairly white,? Simpson said. ?We wash it and filter it to get out the rock particles and clean the dirt out of it.?
The use of dark sand still has some residents worried.
?It still is not appropriate sand,? Seagrove resident Richard Butela said. ?Once that sand mixes with the white sand after the next storm you can?t get it out.?

How are the commissoners going to enforce these laws when one of their own is the one breaking them? Wasn't it obvious during the meetings about blue mountain beach that the illegal dirt was the result of Commissioner Cuchens?

Is his crew working on the houses at Seagrove that have the dark sand. If so will our other commissioners enforce the rules?

As for the response by the code enforcement officer, this is not what the commissioners stated in he meetings. There should not be any "grandfathering" of this crap.

Thanks, SJ. The photos make the point about the dark sand very well. Of course, I would never use anyone's photos for monetary gain.

Has anyone received a reply from the County Commissioners?

You can help in the effort to protect our beautiful yet vulnerable coastal environment even if you are not living here. The SWCC is actively involved in helping protecting our unique snow white sand beaches from incompatible dark sand.

Some of us have spent many hours over the last few months investigating and making contacts just on this particular dark sand problem at Montgomery Street.

The SWCC is an organization of volunteer residents, business owners, property owners, workers and neighborhood groups whose mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the quality of life and natural environment of South Walton County.

The SWCC is the primary citizen watchdog organization in the county and since their in inception in 1995 they have been effective in protecting our county?s natural beauty and vulnerable environment. They help keep me informed of what is happening so that I can optimize my contribution as a Walton county citizen.

Walton county is still in the develpment phase and the decisions made now will affect generations . The SWCC needs your involvement and assistance. Only you can make sure that SWCC has the adequate resources to protect our great coastal area.

http://www.southwaltoncc.org/

Thanks for the link and info ecopal. We also will join.

Does anyone really believe that those beach$ide re$ident$ are going to immediately $top dumping the dark $and they're u$ing to $hore up their home$, dig it all up, and replace it with more co$tly white $and?? And does anyone really believe that in the future when (not if) more $and need$ to be replaced that lawyer$ hired by the property owner$ aren't going to point to the current dark $and people and $ay the county ha$ $et a precedent for emergency $and replacement?

As overdevelopment continues to make its "mark" on the panhandle, an old saying keeps coming to mind: "If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards."

Does anyone really believe that those beach$ide re$ident$ are going to immediately $top dumping the dark $and they're u$ing to $hore up their home$, dig it all up, and replace it with more co$tly white $and?? And does anyone really believe that in the future when (not if) more $and need$ to be replaced that lawyer$ hired by the property owner$ aren't going to point to the current dark $and people and $ay the county ha$ $et a precedent for emergency $and replacement?

As overdevelopment continues to make its "mark" on the panhandle, an old saying keeps coming to mind: "If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards."

Thi$ Really pi$$ e$ me off..... that it all come$ down to Ca$h in$tead of Brain$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$orry.

Please do not hesitate to get the media involved...we would not have gotten the traffic lights at those dangerous intersections, the top soil standards (which the CCs are not conveniently ignoring), or the stop work order on the development at Eden, without the pressure brought by letters, emails, a protest by members of the public :cool: (complete with signs) and yes, the news media.

Nothing speaks louder than the public standing up to the Commissioners and we need the media to record and report it. Each Commissioner has to be reelected; they respond to media reports because of the fear of voters next time an election comes up.

The media is the way to go. It gets the information out to not only our local folk, but our neighbors to the east and west. The DEP will be forced to respond if the media gets the news out for us.

Last month in the Daily News from FWB, an article appeared with the investigation into Ro Cuchens and his wrong doings at our beaches. Maybe that reporter would like to see this situation in Seagrove and compare it to Blue Mtn. It would be interesting to see the connection if in deed the same contractor (commissioner) is behind it.

The more news coverage the greater the possibility to get this dark stuff removed from the beach

yes, we had great results in Blue Mountain Beach with the attention of Channel 13 news. Chris Mitchell is the contact that should be notified of this problem in Seagrove.