A series of nor’easters has robbed valuable sand from Primehook Beach, and state officials have turned down efforts by homeowners to reverse the damage. Homeowners’ applications for two permits from the state have been denied.
To make matters worse, according to Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Collin O’Mara, those responsible for past scraping could end up being prosecuted. O’Mara said permits have never been issued for scraping at the low-tide line at Primehook or any other place in the state.
Scraping has occurred on two or three occasions along Primehook Beach, residents testified during a June 3, 2009 public hearing.
Speaking on behalf of the Primehook Beach Organization, John Chirtea said members are contemplating an appeal of the decision. Ironically, Chirtea said, the organization has a permit, which expires April 10, 2010, for scraping at the high-tide line. “But there is not enough sand there,” he said. That is why the organization applied for permits to scrape from the low-tide line.
“We did what we were told to do,” he said.
O’Mara said homeowners should truck sand in instead of scraping it from the bay. In his findings, O’Mara wrote: “Even if the cost is higher, it will provide long-term protection to the beach by adding sand, as opposed to merely shifting sand from one location to another on the same beach.”
O’Mara said in order for a shoreline project like this to occur, the property owners making the application must own the subaqueous lands, but only a few deeds showed ownership to the Delaware Bay.
O’Mara also cited four environmental reasons for denial in the hearing officer’s report: the project would likely increase beach erosion during storms; harm the aquatic environment, especially a known colony of marine beach-building worms vital as a source of food for fish and shorebirds; and adversely affect other beach areas not scraped. In addition, sand from other sources is available without removing it from the beach.
O’Mara said DNREC supports the residents’ decision to build up the dune line, but the issue is the source of the sand. He said the 20,500 cubic yards of sand could be purchased in the area for about $307,000 and trucked to the beach.
Residents could also apply to DNREC to be included in any public beach replenishment project from offshore sources.
Chirtea said because of recent storms, Primehook is more vulnerable than ever. “We’ve brought in sand at the north end, but it was washed away,” he said. Since that initial loss of sand, property owners on the north end have trucked in more sand.
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