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<br />0003~~ <br /> <br />- 17 - <br /> <br />oil shale resources. In one instance, reclaimed strip m~n~ng rangeland is <br />producing more than the land did prior to strip mining. Value of lost crop <br />production or agricultural lands cannot be considered as a major impact. Oil <br />shale production at the maximum level scenario is 360,000 bid. This is below <br />the 500,000 bid production level which is felt could be absorbed without any <br />direct conflict with agriculture needs for water. However, any significant <br />change in policy, such as local generation of energy, should be monitored <br />carefully. . <br /> <br />/ <br /> <br />The labor displacement issue is a direct and crucial issue. The economics <br />of farming will prohibit matching the $8 to 10 per hour wage scale commanded <br />by the energy industry. Labor requirements for the three counties of Garfield, <br />Rio Blanco, and Moffat, will be up 50~, at the low level, 100~ at the middle, <br />and 160% for the high scenario. This incredible increase will come out of <br />agricultures already meager labor pool. Last week the president of a major f <br />coal company advised that his company pays $4-5 more per hour for beginning , <br />employees than the ranching community can pay and that he sees farm and ranch <br />workers as the top priority source for labor because of their experience <br />with maChinery and willingness to work. <br /> <br />The crux of the impact as related to agriculture must be expressed not as <br />physical loss of land or production. It must be defined in the indirect effects <br />of the interference with on-going agricultural operations, the new demand for <br />land use, both residential and recreational, and the general urbanization of <br />an area historically playing an agricultural role in our state. <br /> <br />Transportation Impacts <br /> <br />Energy development in Planning and Management in Regions 10, 11 and 12 <br />is currently having significant impact on northwest Colorado's transportation <br />system. Any acceleration of the current rate of energy resource development <br />in that area will exacerbate the present situation. For the purposes of this <br />preliminary plan the Department of Highways examined the potential impacts <br />associated with the increased use of public roads for hauling coal to its <br />point of use or shipment, increases in the number of coal train movements, and <br />the regional highway system impacts that can be expected with the growth <br />of the oil shale industry. (See Appendix C for Coal Train Projection maps.) <br /> <br />Under the 1990 high scenario 58.2 million tons of coal are expected to <br />be extracted from northwest Colorado. This level of development is expected <br />to require the use of approximately 457 miles of public roads for hauling <br />coal. Reconstruction of these roads to higher standards (most roads are not <br />designed for repeated movements of heavy loads such as coal haul trucks) and <br />maintenance of these roads through 1990 is expected to cost approximately <br />$100,268,600. (See Appendix Table of Coal Haul Road Needs.) The movement of <br />coal by trucks causes a wide variety of problems including: <br /> <br />o deterioration of air quality in localized areas <br />o noise problems in close proximity to major truck movements <br />o damage to roads not designed for heavy load use <br />o localized congestion and potential increased accidents on <br />rural roads <br />o increased demand for highway maintenance services <br /> <br />The vast majority of coal is moved in the form of unit coal trains. These <br />