Each year West Virginia quarries produce between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 tons
of sandstone. Over half of this material is produced from Pennsylvanian-age
units in the central part of the State by about 40 quarries for use as a
construction aggregate. The remainder is a high-purity silica material
quarried from the Oriskany Sandstone by a single producer in the eastern
panhandle. This high-purity silica material is suitable for a wide variety
of purposes including many types of glass, stoneware, abrasives, and other
materials.
West Virginia's eastern panhandle has significant sandstone deposits that
have the potential of yielding high-purity silica materials. In addition,
diligent exploration could reveal additional high-quality aggregate sources
in the central and western parts of the State where limestone is frequently
trucked in from long distances to meet local demand.
(adapted from a compilation by Hobart M. King and Claudette M. Simard, updated September 1996)
Page last revised: July 15, 2004
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