Benefits of Locally Sourced Aggregates
Aggregates Fun Facts
38,000 tons =
One lane-mile of a highway
Aggregates Fun Facts
15,000 tons =
Elementary School
Aggregates Fun Facts
25,000 tons =
Hospital
Aggregates Fun Facts
500 tons =
Single-family house
Locally Sourced Aggregates Benefit Jobs, the Economy and Environment
The rock and gravel extracted from the Rockfield Quarry is used locally to build public and private infrastructure, including homes, businesses, roadways, schools, hospitals, parks, and more.
Supports Local Demand for Aggregates
- In the 30-year period of 1987-2016, Californians consumed an average of about 180 million tons of construction aggregates per year, or about 5.3 tons per person per year.
- The Fresno region is projected to need more than 8 million tons of aggregates each year for 50 years.
- Cemex’s project calls for increasing its current annual permitted production from 1.4 million tons per year to 3 million tons per year, depending on market demand.
Creates Jobs and Protects Local Economy
- Aggregates workers earn the 4th-highest salaries compared to similar industries.
- The Rockfield facility supports over 200 employees, contractors, and vendors, and will support nearly 600 jobs if the project is approved.
- The employees and private contractors who work at the quarry generate millions of dollars in labor income and business sales for the local economy.
- The quarry supports local and state public services by generating millions of dollars annually in tax revenue.
Saves Consumers and Taxpayers Money
- Shorter distances between quarries and construction sites result in lower fuel consumption, reduced truck usage, decreased project costs, less wear on roads and highways, and diminished greenhouse gas emissions.
- On average, reducing the distance aggregates travel by just 15 miles can reduce material costs by 42%.
- The savings make housing and economic development projects, as well as public projects, more affordable.
- 71% of infrastructure projects, like roads, are financed by state and local taxes.
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
When California’s 50-year trend is longer-haul distances, locally sourced aggregates have numerous environmental benefits.
- Caltrans estimates a current average hauling distance of 50 miles. If the trip length can be reduced by even 15 miles, then diesel fuel consumption can be reduced by 23 million gallons annually, and truck emissions by 238,000 tons per year.
Protect Locally Sourced Aggregates
Sources: The California Department of Transportation, California Construction and Industrial Materials Association (CalCIMA)