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/ , . , \ 4-wRW washn x x x development i SllLINI'rY, AIR POLLU'l'ION, OTHER PROBIBKS : 'l'he task force did not underestimate potential salinity problems. It stated, .Even with tight controls to avoid or minimize water con~ !nation, the long-term effect of industrialization would result in a de. cline in wa:ter quality. ..water quality impacts will be focused most di- rectly'on the White and Green Rivers and ultimately on the Colorado Ri- ver System. potential for serious degradation exists, but due to the uncertainties inherent in many of the individual impacts, the degree of 0199 severity cannot not be quantified." Colorado's stiff air quality standard--lO micrograms per cubic met- er of air for sulfur dioxide by 1980--would preclude oil shale develop- ment in the piceance Basin in Western Colorado beyond 200,000-300,000 BPD, "about the production level that may be achieved under prototype development,. the report said. Also the Environmental protection Agencl must determine what constitutes "significant deterioriation" of air qua! , ity, on orders from the federal courts. . Prevention of "sigificant de- 'terioration"of air qUality has been written into the four test leases, and EPA's determination on this point ,'.... ..,,,' o.il ,.f!:h:ale but, anY roiner!lLdevelopment said. (Other areas would, of course, will directly affect "not only in COlorado, utah or Wyqming," it be affected too.) An EPA spokes- this point man told WRW on JUly 9 EPA will "Within the next IIIOnth.. New,lease soales of public lands would have to be made between 1977- 1980 to accelerate oil shale development, the task force said. Acreage would have to be larger than the present 5!20-acre tracts to assure suc- it J?01nted out. cessful lease sales, especially in utah and Wyom1ng,/ Perhaps oil shale lands should be leased by a reserves unit rather than by acreage, it sug gested. This would require a change in the law. other problems in ac- celerating oil shale development are the same as for any minerals devel- opment: making the resource attractive enough to attract venture capit- al, meeting power needs (~OO,OOO to 700,000 kilowatts), shortage of en- gineering talent, some types of craftsmen, notably pipefitters, equip- ment and materials shortagesr rising costs of everything, especially labor and equipment; long delivery timeson vital equipment, difficultieE in planning for and providing for new facilities and public services in the affected areas to meet the n~ds of the increased population.~ announce its decision on