Demand for aggregates and industrial sand to support renewable energy development is rapidly increasing. Innovative infrastructure projects are essential for enhancing community resiliency. Aggregate operations efficiently use energy, and greenhouse gas emissions at aggregates facilities are inherently low. However, member companies continue to make improvements, such as promoting recycling and investing in fuel-efficient mobile equipment. We support incentives, grants and opportunities to drive investments in modern technologies and equipment that reduce energy use, decrease air emissions, and increase sustainability.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

NSSGA has provided a greenhouse gas emissions calculator since 2008 to assist aggregate producers and pulverized mineral producers calculate emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in an accurate, consistent and verifiable manner. The GHG inventories provide emission baselines and are a useful tool for evaluating options for reducing GHG emissions. 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

User Guide

Construction aggregates are used in many environmental applications such as landscaping, erosion control, water filtration systems, wastewater, and sewage control, and drinking water. NSSGA members are responsible stewards of water resources, and regularly undertake land reclamation activities that include wetland restoration, creation, and enhancement, as well as wetland mitigation banking for internal and external use. Land reclamation activities conducted by NSSGA members have long been known for their ability to create much-needed additional flood storage capacity.

Water uses of aggregates include:

• Filtration
• Sewage treatment
• Wastewater control
• Septic tank leaching fields
• Infiltration for aquifier replenishment
• Acid Neutralization
• Streams
• Lakes
• Concrete and Asphalt Construction for Public Works Infrastructure
• Sewage treatment plants
• Water purification plants
• Dams, reservoirs and water supply
• Utility lines (water, sewerage, electrical)

• Permitting Reform: All infrastructure projects, from roads and bridges to energy, housing, manufacturing and water systems, rely on a reliable local aggregate supply. Yet today’s permitting system often causes long delays, duplicative reviews and ongoing legal uncertainty, driving up costs and preventing projects from moving forward, even after years of review. NSSGA supports broad, bipartisan permitting reform that includes project certainty and is project-agnostic. A core principle of reform must be to include project certainty — once a project has completed a thorough permitting process and received approval, it should proceed without indefinite delay or repeated challenges, including from presidential administrations. A second core principle must be project-agnostic support for all infrastructure types. Permitting reform is not about weakening environmental protections; it is about ensuring decisions are timely, durable and respected so that critical projects can be built. We have seen policies shift between administrations, and we urgently need Congress to step in and provide the long-term certainty businesses need.
• Waters of the US (WOTUS) Definition: Producers need clean water and clear rules to provide aggregates and industrial sand in a timely and responsible manner for vital infrastructure and environmental projects. NSSGA proudly supported the proposed definition by the EPA and Army Corps in December 2025. NSSGA believes a proper balance can be struck to protect federal waters responsibly, while allowing state control of land use, as intended under the Clean Water Act.
• Particulate Matter (PM) Rule: In 2024, the EPA reduced the PM (PM2.5) standard to a level that could send many locations in the U.S. into a nonattainment status. This could create problems for aggregates and industrial sand operators by imposing new requirements on existing operations and make permitting new operations difficult in these areas. NSSGA supports the Trump administration’s delay in non-attainment designation due to data uncertainty.
• Endangered Species Act: The Endangered Species Act has historically been ineffective in the revival of threatened and endangered species. NSSGA supports common-sense reforms to allow more state and local program expertise to solve complex species and habitat issues, as well as voluntary efforts by industry to create and enhance habitats.
• Sustainability and Biodiversity: Aggregates and industrial sand producers are proactive members of their communities. Operators ensure closed sites are responsibly reclaimed and add community benefits once extraction is completed. Reclaimed quarries can take many forms depending on where they are located, including farmland, parks, wildlife habitat areas, water reservoirs, community developments, recreation spots, nature preserves and alternative energy generation. NSSGA members are effective stewards of the land. They value innovation that enhances sustainability throughout the supply chain and creates state-of-the-art solutions that improve our homes, businesses, and schools. For example, finding environmentally and socially beneficial strategies to utilize quarry fines (traditionally a waste material) in road construction, as a soil enhancement, or sequester of carbon. NSSGA supports incentive-based programs and a flexible sustainability strategy that allows our members to increase their operations’ sustainability during extraction and reclamation based on the individual needs of each business.