WSP05711

• File Number: 8040.200
• Description: Section D General Studies-Energy
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Author: DOI
• Title: Energy-Oil Shale-Final Environmental Statement on Proposed Prototype Oil Shale Leasing Program Announced
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

8

Development of the six prototype tracts would produce both direct and
indirect changes in the environment. The impacts involved include those on
the land, water resources, air quality, fish and wildlife, grazing, aesthetics,
recreation, and cultural values, as well as alterations in the existing social
and economic environment. Each of these probable impacts is analyzed in
Volume III of the final statement.

Socio-Economic and Environmental Considerations

The final Environmental Statement contains evaluations for a prototype
industry of 250,000 bId and a mature industry of 1,000,000 bId per day. In
general, the prototype industry would produce localized environmental effects,
whereas a mature industry would produce regional environmental effects. These
regional effects could result in significant environmental consequences unless
prototype development would prove that the effects on water, air, flora, and
fauna could be mitigated within acceptable standards. Proving the concepts
for development with effective environmental controls would be a prime objective
of the prototype program.

I
II

The scale of development for the 250,000 bId prototype program is estimated
to produce 100,000 bId from a surface mine, 100,000 bId from underground mines
and a possible 50,000 bId for in-situ development. This development would
create about 13,000 new jobs and bring 34,000 people into a region with a
present population of about 119,000. It would require an investment of nearly
1 billion dollars in the next ten years, which would create local tax revenues
of about $33 million per year, State revenues of $22 million per year, and
Federal revenues of $135 million annually.

The social impacts of increased urbanization could create a conflict of
life style because of the present rural character of the region. Additional
schools, transportation, health, and sanitation services would be needed, to
cite a few of the major public requirements which would be imposed on the
local and State governments. A mature industry of 1,000,000 bid could
approximately double the present population and would proportionately increase
the other requirements which have been noted.

Impacts on land would involve 8 to 11 thousand acres for development and
about 2 thousand acres for utility corridors. The sum of 10 -- 13,000 acres
represents about 0.1 of 1 percent of the known oil shale area in the region.
A mature industry of 1,000,000 bId would involve 75 -- BO,OOO acres of land,
including the requirements for urban expansion, This figure represents about
0.5 of 1 percent of the oil shale lands that have been evaluated in the three-
State area. Development of oil shale would alter thelanascape in some areas
and destroy vegetation during actual operations, thereby reducing the forage
for grazing and wildlife habitat. Although the techniques for revegetation of
mine waste disposal sites have been proven for grasses and similar growth with
supplementary water and fertilizer, the techniques for revegetating the disturbed
areas to their original ground cover have yet to be proven. The acreages shown
'above are the maximum estimated to be cumulatively disturbed over a 30-year
period. Only a small portion of this would be affected at anyone time.

~~14

'"

~ I