Imperial Beach to Be Replenished with 33,000 Cubic Yards of Sand

About 33,000 cubic yards of sand will be dumped offshore in Imperial Beach starting Monday afternoon or evening, said Amanda Velasquez with the United State Coast Guard's Civil Engineering Unit.

The dredged sand comes from Ballast Point Coast Guard Station near a naval submarine base in San Diego Bay. Operations are expected to finish March 15.

Environmental tests performed by the Coast Guard in January 2010 found concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exceeding values found in Imperial Beach sand but still at levels "not likely to be of concern for ocean disposal" and suitable for use, the report said. No pesticides were found in the testing process.

A 12-by-12-inch grate will be used to remove large pieces of debris or metal. About 95 to 98 percent of the material collected is considered sand, the Coast Guard said.

The sand will be dumped adjacent to Imperial Beach Boulevard and Seacoast Drive.

Sand needs to be removed from the area near Point Loma in order to "restore water depths to their historic levels," Velasquez said in a press release.

Tide turbidity will be considered for optimal conditions to dump the sand, she said, but work will not be disrupted by unusually high tides expected Feb. 16-18.

R.E. Staite Engineering was awarded a contract to carry out the project.

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