Aggregate resources can be described as sand, gravel, clay or marl that is extracted from pits and quarries. Aggregate is essential for the construction of roads, buildings, and other critical infrastructure.

The Aggregate Resource Plan Project was initiated to balance the continued need for aggregate and improve the management of aggregate operations.

As aggregate needs to be extracted using heavy machinery, developments are often associated with nuisances, such as increased noise and dust.

The Aggregate Resource Plan Project's intention is to improve the way aggregate operations are managed in the County.

The regulation of the aggregate industry is a shared responsibility between the Province of Alberta and the municipality of Rocky View County.

Where a proposed aggregate development exceeds 5 hectares (12.36 acres) in size, an operator must seek approval from the Province under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

The municipality is responsible for regulating, monitoring, and enforcing onsite operations through the conditions of a Development Permit. Rocky View County also requires operators to redesignate land through a public hearing to the appropriate land use district and submit Master Site Development Plans to regulate the site design, operations, and phasing.

Most initiatives would largely be undertaken with existing staff resources already accounted for in the County’s operating budget.

Regarding site monitoring, Administration is recommending that some, or all, of the cost of these resources could be recovered from aggregate operators that have active sites within the County.

Rather than being developed as a single document, the Aggregate Resource Plan will encompass several plans and policies, including the proposed creation of a new Aggregate Site Monitoring Bylaw.

This approach ensures that efforts to manage aggregate are streamlined across County plans, policies and actions. All actions and progress will be shared with the public in a clear and accessible manner.