A sand mining expansion is about to begin in the hamlet of America on the border of Groningen and Trente. Owner K3Delta holds all permissions.
Excavation of topsoil from the northern side of the expansion, adjacent to the existing lake, has already begun. It is about the first 30 to 60 centimeters which includes grass and roots. The K3Delta uses the upper part to protect the workpiece, so it is hidden from view. K3Delta’s Jildert Hijlkema says the topsoil underneath is being sold to improve garden soil in new homes.
The main aqueduct of the Noorderzijlvest Water Board will also be moved through the area and a weir will be moved. K3Delta hopes to start sand mining on the new section after the summer break.
Four years in the making
K3Delta announces in its newsletter to local residents that the permit process is complete after four years of project preparation. The company plans to expand sand mining in the US by 30 hectares in the coming years. It is twice the size of the existing area of about 40 hectares. The sandblasting machine has almost completed its work in the old extraction area. The owner will sell the sand in the depot and the sand under the warehouse will be picked up later.
An expansion of sand extraction in the hamlet, the size of thirty football fields, was to be located on the south-west side of the existing lake, up to Trente’s provincial border with Groningen. It starts in the northern part and gradually happens. K3Delta expects the expansion to continue for the next ten to fifteen years.
Ofuqsand
Expansion is necessary to meet the demand for filler sand. In the United States, sand is used for housing and road construction within a radius of about 35 kilometers around the extraction site. “Given the urgent housing construction, we may continue to supply sand to the area in the coming years,” says Hijlkema. Sand is also suitable for horse riding arenas.
Extraction of so-called surface minerals, such as in the United States, is stated to be in the ‘national interest’. The province of Trento, which issued the dredging permit, wants to expand existing sand mining lakes instead of allowing new sand mining sites.
Natural presence
A 10-hectare nature reserve will be created as part of the project. To the south of the new area will be a heathland with hedges and bushes. It connects with the nearby natural reserve and provides more living space for rare animals like adder and viviparous lizard. Sand walls for sand martins are built on islands in the pond where other birds can rest peacefully. In the future there will be hiking trails and a mountain bike trail around the water.
