Aggregate mining is an inherently destructive act, one that involves removing non-renewable resources like limestone, sand, and gravel, from deep within the earth. This comes at a heavy cost to the environment and local communities.

Open-pit mining, the type of mining used at the Jamesville Quarry, is exactly what it sounds like — a gaping pit carved out of the land. In the case of the Jamesville Quarry, the land formerly consisted of pristine lakes, gorges, ice caves, and other unique geological features. Now the land is little more than a 1,174 acre trench. Another 1,064 acres is considered part of the quarry.

https://www.onondaganation.org/land-rights/the-offenders/hanson-aggregates-north-america-and-the-jamesville-quarry/