Proximity Matters
Most (90%) of aggregates are consumed within 50 miles of mining and production; shipping costs rise sharply with distance.
The aggregates industry is dependent on the location of the natural resources which are mined. In Utah, there are aggregate quarries in at least 23 of 29 counties.
Utah’s aggregate industry directly employs 1,610 individuals and generates $331 million in sales.
Utah’s aggregate industry supports another 1,790 jobs, for a total of 3,410 jobs and $680 million in economic activity statewide.
Earnings for Utahns within the industry and from all jobs supporting the industry results in $11.8 million in revenue for Utah through state income taxes.
The Need for New Facilities
Meeting our “growing” challenges depends on infrastructure materials, yet new material production facilities often meet strong public opposition.
That opposition usually centers around “NIMBY” (“Not in my backyard”), but can include legitimate environmental concerns.
Even those who impose new facilities - like gravel quarries or asphalt and cement plants - consume the products they seek to restrict. Most all of us drive, we all live somewhere, we drink water and we flush toilets, as do they. In other words, opponents need new and updated infrastructure just like the rest of us.
Certainly, environmental impact from infrastructure production is a real concern. But a balance between accessibility and transport distance must be achieved. The further away from point-of-use the needed materials originate, the greater the environmental and economic cost