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Virginia Beach Council approves plan to use former borrow pit for dredge spoils after heated public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing with dozens of residents and environmental groups warning of aquifer and habitat risks, the Virginia Beach City Council voted 9–0 to approve a modification allowing placement of dredged material at the Whitehurst/Oceana borrow pit; staff said monitoring wells and material testing will be used.
Virginia Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve a modification to a conditional use permit that will allow the city to place dredged material at a former borrow pit on Oceana Boulevard, a decision that followed more than an hour of public testimony on environmental and public‑health risks.
At a public hearing, residents, conservation groups and local business owners argued the 19‑acre Oceana Pond functions as stormwater infrastructure and wildlife habitat and warned that placing dredged spoils there could contaminate local wells, harm migratory birds and reduce property values. "This plan is deeply flawed both environmentally and scientifically and poses long term risks to public health, drinking water, wildlife, and our city's flood resilience," said Lisa Johnson, chair of the Surfrider Foundation Virginia chapter.
Opponents cited U.S. Geological Survey reports and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality concerns about the Yorktown…
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