From: NBC 11 News
Mesa County Commissioners call on the Bureau of Land Management to stop its plans to restrict oil shale leasing.
Monday, the three commissioners unanimously passed a resolution that opposes the BLM’s 2012 Oil Shale and Tar Sands Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (OSTS PEIS).
Previously, the BLM opened about 2 million acres of public land for potential oil shale development in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming under the 2008 OSTS PEIS. But now, the agency plans to reduce the acreage to around 400,000.
So Mesa County joins Garfield and potentially 11 other counties to protest the new plan.
“There’s no science to back up the entire change,” said County Commissioner Craig Meis.
He said that there has not been any new research to support the changes in a preferred alternative of the 2012 OSTS PEIS and that by closing off this land, its economic potential will be wasted.
“You’re not going to get the private sector to participate if the rules keep changing. The private sector needs consistency, needs some collaboration and cooperation with federal agencies,” said Meis.
So their resolution demands those lands stay open.
But according to chemical engineer Tom Phillips, the BLM’s decision to reassess these lands is a good one because oil shale development is still in its early stages.
“Nobody has proven at this point that you can economically produce oil shale, produce a liquid hydrocarbon from the rock,” said Phillips.
That lack of technology has caused problems for energy companies before, said Joan Woodard.
“Back in the 80s, we had a huge disaster in the economy because shale, I think, just pulled out because it was not economically viable,” said Woodward, referring to Black Sunday.
That “disaster” left the economy on the Western Slope depressed for years.
Phillips said there are many other unknowns dealing with oil shale development.
“We don’t know how much water is really going to be used. And it looks like we may be moving into an extended period of drought,” said Phillips.
But Meis said the unknowns are why the lands need to remain open: to research the socio-economic and environmental impacts.
“They are simply set aside as areas for potential leasing in the future. It’s what the private sector needs in order to say that we’re going to spend money on research and development,” said Meis.
According to Meis, the BLM did not consult local governments before making those changes.
This resolution should show the administration that local governments have a voice that should be taken into account, Meis said.
Phillips said regardless of the resolution, oil shale production will not move forward without proof that it is economically viable.
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