Additional construction aggregate information

Listed below are some additional information about aggregate resources in the form of handbooks, publications, fact sheets, and external links to other organizations.

A Handbook for Reclaiming Sand and Gravel Pits in Minnesota

• A general reference prepared by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the development of site specific mining and reclamation plans, this handbook provides technical information to landowners, county officials, and operators on reclaiming sand and gravel pits.
• Download the handbook (2.9Mb)

State agency permits and information

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
  • Stormwater permits and applications.
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Ecological and Water Resources Division
  • Water use permits - required for operations using more than 10,000 gallons per day or 1 million gallons per year of water.
• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)
  • Wetland Regulation - required for certain activities that impact wetlands. The Wetland Conservation Act requires that the project proposer follow a sequence of development steps that includes avoiding impacts to wetlands, minimizing unavoidable impacts, and mitigating for the loss of wetlands due to a specific regulated activity. operations using more than 10,000 gallons per day or 1 million gallons per year of water.
• Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB)
  • Environmental Review Guidance Documents: Provides links and documents relating to current rules associated with environmental review.  For aggregate mining:
    • Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is required when an aggregate mining operation of sand, gravel, stone or other nonmetallic minerals, other than peat, which will excavate 40 or more acres of land to a mean depth of 10 feet of more during its existence (4410.4300 subpart 12).
    • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required when an aggregate mining operation of sand, gravel, stone or other nonmetallic minerals, other than peat, which will excavate 160 acres of land or more to a mean depth of ten feet or more during its existence (4410.4300 subpart 9).
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources- Lands and Minerals
  • Fact Sheet 1: Environmental Regulations for Aggregate Mining (40KB)
  • Fact Sheet 2: Mining Plans for Aggregate Operations (40KB)
  • Fact Sheet 3: Reclamation at Aggregate Mining Sites (40KB)
  • Fact Sheet 4: Using Native Prairie Species for Reclaiming Aggregate Mining Sites (40KB).
• Minnesota State Law Library
  • An external link to the Minnesota Law Library listing resources for municipal and county law.

Minnesota Aggregate Resource Task Force (2000)

• A joint committee consisting of Minnesota Legislative members and appointed citizens that formed a task force addressing issues related to Minnesota's aggregate resources.
• Download the Final Report to the Minnesota Legislature.
• Download a report prepared by the Ad Hoc Aggregate Committee for the Aggregate Resources Task Force (1998): Minnesota's Aggregate Resources: Road to the 21st Century.
• Download Key Points of Presentations to the Aggregate Resource Task Force.

U.S. Geological Survey Information

• Circular 1176: Aggregates from Natural and Recycled Sources
• Circular 1177: Crushed Cement Concrete Substitution
• Circular 1191: Human Factor in Mining Reclamation
• Report 02-415: Managing and Protecting Aggregate Resources
• Report 03-121: Specifcation Aggregate Quarry Expansion
• Fact Sheet 144-97: Natural Aggregates-Foundation of America's Future
• Fact Sheet 181-99: Recycled Aggregates-Profitable Resource Conservation
• Fact Sheet 2006-3137: Materials in Use in U.S. Interstate Highways

American Geological Institute (AGI)

• Aggregate and the Environment (2004, 64 pages).

External Links:

• MnDOT Aggregates
• Minnesota Geological Survey
• United State Geological Survey - Natural Aggregates