Howie Mosley, the State Materials Engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation, briefed the committee on Florida's construction-aggregate supply, where aggregate is sourced, how it moves and a newly funded grant program intended to bolster supply-chain resilience.

The office's role and why aggregates matter
Mosley said the State Materials Office tests and approves materials used on FDOT projects and studies long-range material needs. He described crushed stone (mostly limestone/lime rock) and construction sand as the primary aggregates used for bases, asphalt and concrete mixtures, and riprap.

Recent data and imports
Mosley gave sector figures for 2023: approximately 136,000,000 tons of crushed stone and about 61,000,000 tons of construction sand were used in Florida construction projects; the department itself mined about 128,000,000 tons of construction aggregate in 2023 and the state imported nearly 5,000,000 tons from other countries. Mosley noted a portion of crushed stone for asphalt and concrete comes from the Miami-Dade Lake Belt region (about 55–60,000,000 tons annually from that region). He also said aggregate arrives by truck, rail and ship (noting imports from Canada and Honduras) and that additional transportation legs raise costs.

Recycled materials and conservation
FDOT emphasizes reuse of reclaimed asphalt pavement (millings) and crushed concrete for base materials; the office is also testing innovative sources such as recycled crushed glass as lightweight aggregate. Mosley said recycling both conserves natural aggregate and reduces landfill usage.

State grant program to strengthen supply chain
Mosley described the Florida Department of Aggregate Supply Chain Grant Program. He said the 2024 legislative appropriation began a $100,000,000 program (over multiple years) and that the first awards totaled $18,000,000. The initial grants are intended to create additional aggregate storage capacity (about 1.2 million tons of storage across recipients), improve rail access to storage facilities and utilize ports and terminals to reduce transportation bottlenecks.

Questions from committee members
Senators asked about the long-term availability of aggregates and whether a risk of depletion or stranded reserves exists. Mosley said the recent study he referenced examined current supplies and potential future sources; some mines reported multi-decade production capability but longer-term availability varies and requires ongoing monitoring. He said a mine in Mexico that had supplied roughly 2,000,000 tons for the state previously has been closed and is no longer a supplier. Mosley said Canada provides roughly 1,000,000 tons annually and Honduras supplies a smaller but important quantity for concrete mixes.

Why it matters and next steps
Committee members asked staff to circulate the aggregate study to senators; Mosley and committee staff said they would provide the report and supporting data. Committee discussion emphasized balancing quality, logistics and environmental and local permitting considerations as officials plan long-range infrastructure projects.

Ending
FDOT urged continued monitoring of aggregate supplies, use of recycled materials and investment in storage, rail and port access to reduce costs and improve resilience for future road and bridge projects.