Aggregate Mining in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

Our buildings, roads, bridges, dams, and many other components of infrastructure and consumer goods are dependent on aggregate resources. Aggregate mining is one of the most important economic industries in the world, second only to fossil fuels (Langer 2002)—and indeed, aggregate production is one of the most important activities supporting the fossil fuel industry.

Aggregate products are relatively cheap, but are heavy. Generally, aggregate costs more to transport than to extract, so it is usually mined near the place where it will be used. In fact, most aggregate is used within 65 km of where it is mined (Edwards 1998b). The rapid pace of oil sands development in the Athabasca region, then, means that the production of aggregate will also be an important industry in the area for many years to come. For more information see:

• Resource Description
• Resource Development
• History of Aggregate Mining
• Potential Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems