The Sand Man -- SC politician's company mined a town's sand. Where did the money go?
Sand isn’t just sand. Sand grains from the desert often have rounded edges. That’s because desert winds slam the grains into each other until they’re polished like mini marbles. But sand fragments from rivers and beaches are jagged. They lock together well, especially when fixed with cement to make concrete. This makes these jagged grains surprisingly valuable.
Every year, the global construction industry uses $130 billion of this sand. That’s enough to blanket the entire state of South Carolina with 5 inches. Industries use even rarer types for computer chips, window panes and sand traps at golf courses. This has fueled an international sand rush, one that has reached South Carolina’s loamy layers. Today, the state has more than 500 active sand mines.
One controversial sand mine just closed. It was on an ancient dune ridge in Awendaw, a town 30 minutes north of Charleston. Awendaw acquired 290 acres more than a decade ago with $5.17 million generated by the county’s half-cent sales tax. Then the town struck a deal with a mining company to excavate sand to create a large lake. The town hoped the lake would be the centerpiece of a new park, and that the sand would help pay for the park’s construction.
That didn’t quite happen, despite the rising value of sand. The town received far less royalty money than it expected — just $150,000. Today, millions of dollars in sand and dirt are gone; the park isn’t built, and town officials are scrambling to find other ways to pay for it, an Uncovered investigation found. The findings raise new questions about the controversial project and its high-profile sand miner, Elliott Summey.
Read more: https://www.postandcourier.com/uncovered/sc-politicians-company-mined-a-towns-sand-where-did-the-money-go/article_dd90c908-c94a-11eb-9fb6-3b1527d57dd3.html
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