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<br />OG21S0 <br /> <br />V. WHITE RIVER SHALE PROJECT <br /> <br />Reservoir water planned for use in processing oil shale would be pumped <br /> <br />from the reservoir through a 24-inch diameter pipeline. (See figure 10.) The <br /> <br /> <br />pumping station at the reservoir would be a fully enclosed structure housing <br /> <br /> <br />screened intakes, pumps, motors, electrical switchgear, and mechanical systems. <br /> <br /> <br />Tel~metering eqoipment would be installed to provide full remote control from <br /> <br /> <br />the plant control room. Electric power supply for the pumping station would be <br /> <br /> <br />provided by the White River Shale Project (WRSP) power distribution system. <br /> <br />The on-tract freshwater storage pond would be constructed to provide <br /> <br />operational flexibility, including a 3 days reserve and additional storage to <br /> <br /> <br />maintain a reliable supply of water during an outage of the reservoir pumping <br /> <br /> <br />plant or pipeline and tO'control drainage water. No water would be returned to <br /> <br /> <br />the White River. The shale project would reuse treated waste water. <br /> <br />2 3 <br />A. Water Supply Alternatives ' <br /> <br />Alternative means of providing surface water for development of lease <br />tracts Ua and Ub are: <br /> <br />1. Flaming Gorge Plan - figure 11 <br /> <br /> <br />2. Starvation Reservoir Plan - figure 12 <br /> <br /> <br />3. Red Fleet Reservoir Plan - figure 13 <br /> <br /> <br />4. Watson Reservoir Plan - figure 14 <br /> <br /> <br />5. Hells Hole Canyon Reservoir Plan - figure 15 <br /> <br />These various plans are described in reference 3 above. <br /> <br />Alternative means of providing groundwater for development of the lease <br /> <br /> <br />tracts have also been explored. Low permeability bedrock formations underlying <br /> <br /> <br />the area precludes groundwater as a source to support the large sustained <br /> <br /> <br />withdrawals required. In addition, the quality of the groundwater is very poor, <br /> <br /> <br />containing dissolved solids (salt) concentrations that increase with depth. <br /> <br />B. Position Statement <br /> <br />Since the formation of the White River Shale Project in 1974, significant <br /> <br /> <br />events in the nation's economy and the world oil picture have occurred that impact <br /> <br /> <br />seriously on the development of an oil shale industry. In the last several years, <br /> <br /> <br />a high inflation has occurred and the estimated cost of a 100,000 barrels per day <br /> <br /> <br />oil shale plant has escalated from a $600 million range to over $1.5 billion in <br /> <br /> <br />1975 dollars. As, a consequence of the sharp capital requirements, the projected <br /> <br />- 21 - <br /> <br />