Reps. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) have reintroduced the Rebuilding Our Communities by Keeping aggregates Sustainable (ROCKS) Act H.R. 611. The ROCKS Act establishes a working group of federal, state and local stakeholders to examine the use of aggregates and institute a federal policy to ensure continued access to these essential materials.
The ROCKS Act has garnered continued bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. In the last Congress, the ROCKS Act had 22 bipartisan co-sponsors and was included in the House surface transportation reauthorization package that advanced out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It then passed through the full House last July. This bill is supported by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA).
“The 400 members of tNSSGA thank Rep. Stanton and Rep. Balderson as well as their staffs for their work on introducing the Rebuilding Our Communities by Keeping aggregates Sustainable (ROCKS) Act,” said NSSGA Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Michele Stanley. “Their leadership to advance this bipartisan legislation, that promotes sustainable access to needed construction materials, will improve the lives of all Americans.
“Aggregates are the second most utilized product in the world and are the bedrock in the creation of buildings, roads, airports and bridges,” Stanley continued. “They are indispensable in developing the infrastructure needed to access to clean water, deliver reliable energy and advance environmental stewardship. It is imperative that all communities have access to these essential resources as we work together to improve our outdated infrastructure. Sustainable, local access to aggregate materials improves construction costs, extends taxpayer dollars, reduces congestion and leads to better environmental outcomes.
“This critical legislation has a proven record of success receiving 22 bipartisan cosponsors in the last Congress,” Stanley concluded. “The underlaying text was included in the House of Representatives surface transportation reauthorization package that was advanced by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It was then passed through the full House last July. H.R. 611 has also received support from the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), the Arizona Rocks Products Association (ARPA) and Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association (OAIMA). We urge all Members of Congress to cosponsor this legislation that demonstrates the importance of crushed stone, sand and gravel as essential for local communities.”