Texas

Infrastructure investment is expected to drop steeply throughout the state, with the exception of the Dallas area, the Dallas Morning News reports. The Texas Transportation Commission released a two-year spending plan that includes about $4.8 billion in contracts for 2011, but only about half that amount during 2012 as the federal stimulus funds disappear and the impact of the disappointing gas receipts is felt. In the state’s 15 transportation districts, only the Dallas district is expected to maintain stable funding. That is due, in large part, to the North Texas Tollway Authority, which paid $3.2 billion in upfront cash after winning the Sam Rayburn Tollway contract in 2007. During the next two years, an estimated $730 million of that money will be spent in the Dallas area.

Virgina

Richmond-based Luck Stone Corp. entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the Jack L. Massie Aggregate Distribution Center located in Williamsburg, Va. The Massie family retains the construction business on the property and the more than 100 employees who work on the non-aggregate side of the business. Luck Stone will interview the employees who work on the aggregate side to determine if they will work for Luck Stone or remain with Massie. “This acquisition adds significant capacity to our market presence on the peninsula and is a great complement to our two other distribution yards in the South Hampton Roads region,” John Pullen, chief growth officer for Luck Stone Corp. and president of the construction aggregates division, said in a company announcement. Massie will concentrate on its core business of construction while providing its aggregate customers with additional resources.

Washington

The Washington State Department of Ecology updated its Sand and Gravel General Permit, which regulates water discharges from sand and gravel operations, quarries, and similar mining operations. It also covers concrete batch plants and hot-mix asphalt operations, as well as stockyards. Approximately 900 sites are covered by the permit, which takes effect Oct. 1. It is posted online at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/sand/index.html

Wisconsin

According to The Leader-Telegram, the Chippewa Falls City Council voted 4-2 to sell a 3.2-acre parcel to EOG Resources for its sand processing operations. The land sold for $56,000, or $17,500 per acre. The council rejected the sale of the parcel last year when the offer was $8,000. A representative for the aggregates operator told the council that the land will be used for rail cars, which will decrease the frequency of rail blockages on city streets. By putting the land back on a taxable basis, the sale also offers additional municipal revenue, he noted. The company became the chief investor in the sand plant in May, when it acquired its interests from Canadian Sand & Proppants.