Why aren't the companies required to replace the sand with Sahara desert sand, say? They are capable of transporting sand so it would seem straightforward.
Sahara sand is not as good for construction, but for filling in "standing pools of water" or alligator habitats it could be just fine!
After all, if it's not being used for concrete and chemical bonds are not being formed for construction, then fine round sand can probably do just as good a job of lying there as larger square grains.
- Extract lots of sand
- Fill it with water
Maybe it will compensate for the increased ocean levels if the hole is big enough
Edit: Also see "Flood Death Valley" https://what-if.xkcd.com/152/
Edit: aaand it’s full of cheetahs and gazelles. Damnit.
- Fill it with water
- Run solar distillation
- Create additional freshwater source for region (at expense of creating a high-salinity lake)