Figure 15—Diagrammatic cross section of the Illinois Basin.
MISS. RIVER Waterloo Mt. Vernon ILLINOIS WABASH RIVER INDIANA New Albany OHIO RIVER
ARE ANY STONE QUARRIES LOCATED IN THE AREA UNDERLAIN BY THE ILLINOIS BASIN?
Yes. In the area underlain by the basin, stone quarries are operated in younger, thinner rock strata of Pennsylvanian age. These strata also overlie the thick limestones and dolomites quarried along the margins of the state. The quarries located within the basin area produce stone for agricultural limestone, roads, and other purposes.
HOW AND WHERE ARE LIMESTONE AND DOLOMITE USED?
Millions of tons of stone are crushed annually to produce aggregate for use in making concrete roads and buildings, for road surfacing, and for agricultural limestone. Agstone is applied to farmlands to neutralize soil acidity, improve soil structure, add calcium and magnesium, and promote conditions favorable for the utilization of soil materials by plants. Large quantities of limestone are used in making lime and cement. There are three cement plants in northern Illinois—two at LaSalle and one at Dixon—and one in southern Illinois, at Joppa.
Small amounts of stone are used for making alkalies and glass, for railroad ballast, for building stone, for dusting coal mines to prevent coal dust explosions, and for ingredients in mineral feeds for livestock.
HOW MUCH STONE DOES ILLINOIS PRODUCE?
A production of about 36 million tons of stone in 1963 was valued at almost $48,000,000. The cement made from Illinois limestone in the same year was valued at $32,000,000.