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Industry warns Minnesota could exhaust metro aggregate resources; bill would clarify mapping and local regulation
Summary
Testimony on House File 4807 warned Minnesota faces constrained supplies of sand, gravel and crushed stone in the metro area within a decade unless inventories and planning are updated; MnDOT provided statewide demand and recycling figures and deferred inventory authority to the DNR.
Industry representatives told the House Transportation Committee that Minnesota’s supply of construction aggregates (rock, sand, gravel, crushed stone) is becoming constrained — particularly in the Twin Cities metropolitan area — and urged the Legislature to update inventories and clarify local permitting rules in House File 4807.
"We use a lot of aggregates," said John Cunningham of the Aggregate Ready Mix Association of Minnesota. He told the committee that Minnesota requires roughly eight tons of aggregate per person per year and cited prior reports indicating metro inventories could be exhausted in roughly a decade without updated planning and access. Cunningham urged renewed investment in aggregate mapping and clear guidance so local governments can preserve nearby sources for essential infrastructure work.
MnDOT Assistant Commissioner Michael There provided technical context: statewide annual uses include about 8 million tons for asphalt, 13 million tons for concrete and roughly 25 million tons for base materials, and MnDOT recycles a high share of base materials (about 70% statewide and about 95% in the metro area). "If the region relied solely on currently available resources, supply may be exhausted in about 10 years," he said, adding that precise horizons depend on durability requirements and import patterns.
Industry witnesses stressed localized impacts: when aggregate sources move outside a metro area, trucking distances and costs rise substantially, increasing vehicle miles traveled and CO2 emissions. Cunningham said keeping materials local reduces both monetary and environmental costs and that policies should avoid shadow bans on mining that are not supported by science.
Representative Swedzinski introduced House File 4807 as a measure to clarify local preemption on aggregate ordinances, fund updated aggregate mapping, and address weight‑restriction questions; MnDOT and industry witnesses said the DNR is the appropriate agency to update resource inventories.
Committee members asked technical and planning questions and heard requests for updated mapping to inform long‑term infrastructure and housing planning. The committee took no final action on the bill during the hearing and adjourned.
