Aggregates
The term “aggregates” relates to sand, gravel and crushed stone. These materials are produced from naturally occurring deposits in every county of the state outside of metropolitan New York. The mining industry in New York is responsible for producing the vital building materials that are used in literally every construction project in New York. These materials are the products of the State’s mineral deposits and are, quite literally, the building blocks of the State’s infrastructure. The State’s roads and bridges, as well as public and private office buildings, industrial facilities, retail stores, airports, railways, dams, churches, schools and homes are all dependent upon the construction aggregates that are produced from the State’s mining facilities.
About 400 tons of aggregates are used in the construction of the average home. Every mile of interstate highway contains in excess of 38,000 tons of construction aggregate. Stone products are used in steel and glass production, water and air pollution control devices, fertilizer and many other products. On average, each individual consumes about 50 pounds of mineral products each day. In short, the State’s mineral reserves are a critical natural resource, with an annual demand exceeding 175,000,000 tons. This enormous demand equates to a contribution of approximately $5 billion to New York’s economy, $1.3 billion in wages, at least $101 million in taxes and employment for roughly 30,000 people.
Unfortunately, deposits of stone, sand and gravel and other minerals that are suitable for mining are increasingly scarce. Mining operations are a consumptive use of a non-renewable resource. When the material is removed from the quarry, it is gone; it does not grow back and cannot be replanted. That is why it is important that sites which have all of the attributes necessary to develop a successful mining operation be developed and permitted for such activity. There are five critical attributes that make a site ideal for establishing a commercial mining operation:
1. The Resource Must be Present
The mining industry is unique in that unlike many other businesses, they can be only located where nature has deposited the material and where geologic conditions are favorable.
2. The Quality of the Material Must Meet Stringent Standards
Even if a given site has mineral deposits present, not all stone, sand or gravel is suitable for use in construction of roads or for other uses. For road building especially, the DOT specifications regarding hardness and abrasive qualities are not easily satisfied.
3. The Quantity of the Material Must Be Sufficient to Justify the Investment
To be suitable for mining, there must be a sufficient quantity of the mineral to justify the investment in the land, excavation and processing equipment and permitting costs.
4. The Mineral Deposit Must be “Mineable”
The mineral deposit must also be mineable. That is, it must be accessible to mining equipment and not already developed for other purposes. This is an important point. A growing problem is that a significant number of mineral reserves cannot be developed because the sites have been devoted to other residential or commercial uses and cannot be accessed. In addition, ideally, mineral reserves at a site will be located under a minimal amount of overburden. Overburden is any material the lies over the desired mineral which must be removed. It is difficult and expensive to access the underlying mineral reserves at sites with substantial overburden.
5. The Site Must Have Ready Access to Local Markets
The mineral deposits must also have access to the market. As a rule of thumb, the cost of construction aggregate doubles with every 20 miles of transport, so the deposit cannot be too remote from the construction projects it will serve and should have access to a roadway network that will allow ready transport. A local source of high-quality construction aggregate benefits an area by reducing construction costs, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation costs and a host of other factors.