ABSTRACT
Alberta's mineral aggregate production in 1991 was 45.8 million tonnes worth $156.8 million. Sand and gravel is the preferred source of mineral aggregate in Canada comprising seventy-one per cent of Canadian production in 1991. The mining and transportation of aggregate can have a definite impact on the environment and the quality of life of residents in a region. Factors which impact on the ability of private and public sector producers to operate include physical conditions, regulatory requirements, and environmental and land use issues. Legislation which regulates aggregate mining and the lands disturbed by aggregate mining was initiated because of concerns about the effects of resource exploration or testing. Early legislation in the form of the Surface Reclamation and Land Surface and Reclamation Acts was revised and expanded in the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act introduced in 1992. The Public Land Act is the primary legislation dealing with the management of sand and gravel resources on Public Lands.
