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<br />of spent ~hale. into valleys. Oil-shale spokesmen re-
<br />port that the lopo~raphv change in the 16.500.square-
<br />mile f1 square mile =: &.40 acres) ..hale region will be
<br />insignificant.
<br />"We're talking about mining a &O-fool-deep rich
<br />zone of "hale," "-ays Kilburn. "That bO feet would be
<br />taken OU1. and we would put the wasil", which would
<br />be about the same volume, maybe a little bit more, into
<br />a valley. We're going to mine about -\,000 acres and we
<br />will pul proces<;ed shale in 800 acre",. So we're only
<br />talking about filling up one.fifth oi the area \...e're
<br />mining to an average depth of .150 feel. And .liter the
<br />waste is properly revegetated, it should be difficult for
<br />the non-expert to distinguish it from the nalive <,ur.
<br />roundings." Thes/;> figure:<- apply onlv to one plant-the
<br />Colony plant. For a million.barr('l.per.day indu,>try,
<br />Dr, Prien of DRI '>.1)''> that the "Spent ~hale would cover
<br />20 square miles in 20 year<,," And .1<; the oil shalers
<br />learn 10 mine thicker shale seams. the topography
<br />problem" can be expected to grow correspondingly
<br />more difiicult.
<br />
<br />An expanding problem
<br />
<br />The problems and projects for <;pent.shale di"pmal
<br />havp incill'd ..orne oj the most heated debat('... over
<br />oil-shdle d('vE'lopmenl. As a result 01 the mining,
<br />crushing and relorting processes, the volume of rock
<br />swell.... Oil.shale developers do plan to W(.t and com.
<br />pdct the retorted .;,hale, but it ~till \\'ill be larger than its
<br />original volume. To date, they are not planning to
<br />return any oi the spent shale to the mine<, becau<,e, as
<br />Bob Smith, a Colom' technical expert, explains: "The
<br />technical knm\.how (for refilling mines) is not yet at
<br />hand. We will study this," he .ldd... "Wf' want 10
<br />under...tand how to do it heeau..e in <;ome area.. it mighl
<br />be n(.ce.....arv."
<br />According to Plorzheimer oi Paraho, one maior
<br />problem 01 returning spent shale to an JCli\'t-' mine is
<br />..aiety. Ht' adds, howe\'t'r, that evenlually oil.shall'
<br />companies might be able!() return ..orne "'pl'nt shale to
<br />ah.lOdoned underground mine... This action would
<br />greatly pl('a<,(' the ErA, where John Hardawa\', an
<br />oil-shale sppcialist, ~a\'..: "We tel'l more eitort should
<br />bp given to the return ot spent ..hale b.ld into mine..."
<br />Howl'veL .11 thp pre..pnt time, the oil companie.. plan
<br />10 build ..pent....hale landfill~ in mountdin vallev.. and 10
<br />ren'get.llP lhem. Aaording to I\ilburn, a pile ot ..pent
<br />shale, \\ hieh will average 350 leet and ma\" be 600 feet
<br />depp .11 Ihe hight,..1 point, will be "built lil..e a laver
<br />C.1I..P, with lerrMed stpp" up thE' slopf'. We\\ill re\"egp-
<br />tate the (>\po..ed area.. a.. ...oon .1S \\l~ can," ht, ..,lVS,
<br />"though the top ot thp eal..t' won't be available iar 20
<br />vears."
<br />The rl>\egetatian procpss invol\es iir..t plowing the
<br />area. then putting mulch and fertilizer on it, ..owing
<br />
<br />16 I\ECLJTI\'f '\f"! ftf"'CH\\"~~ 101T10... f..I",,~.... 1"~4
<br />
<br />..eeds (mainl, grass), and finallv pUlling in irrigation
<br />pipes. Kilburn claims the irrigation should only last 3
<br />year.., "alter which \\e should have good mature,
<br />seli-suslaining plants." Thf' fertilizing proc{'..s may last
<br />longer, he savs, "but it is no great problem, nor
<br />expen..e, to iertilize for 20 to 25 years, at ....hich point
<br />we hope to have established a normal nutrient equilib-
<br />rium in the ..oil, akin to nearby nalive ..oils."
<br />
<br />Spent Shale: more on Ihe great salt debate
<br />
<br />The irrigation process has two funclions: first, to
<br />hl'lp the vegetation grow; and ..econd, to leach salts
<br />out of the soil. Spent shale is a hi~hly ..alty substance
<br />and the ..alt.. mu<;t be leached out oj the surface at a
<br />pile hetore vegelation can grow on iL The ..alts in the
<br />rpmaindpr 01 the 'ihale, 'iav" Kilburn, 'ihould remain in
<br />the pile beneath the 3- to 5.1001 revegetated area.
<br />
<br />The prmppcl of INching ...lit.. out oi soil and locking
<br />highly ..aline material into a pile gives rise to the
<br />recurring question of salinit~. and the Colorado River.
<br />Ecologv groups fear that natural erosion, flash floodo;"
<br />.... hich are common In the area, and the possibilit\' of
<br />salls ..eeping into underground water supplie.. could
<br />.111 greatl\' increase the salinity 01 the Colorado River.
<br />Induslf\" ...ourfes believl' all these problems can be
<br />controlled, through dams. recycling and careful man-
<br />agpment. But, according to the Institute of Ecology, if
<br />the oil.shak' tOmpanies Me wrong, their error could
<br />be very costly,
<br />In its critique oi the lpa",ing EIS, the Institute esti-
<br />matpd that "pven ii 1 percent of the salt in the
<br />"penl.shale piles were to e<tcape into the tributarie..
<br />and into the Colorado River, the damage would be
<br />severe to downstr('am u~ers-a S5,2<J3,OOO burden b~
<br />1m." At Colony Development. however, Kilburn
<br />say"': "I would say we .He 9'J+ percent sure \\fe can
<br />pliminate any I('achin~ of material.. into waterways. But
<br />it' we're wrong, we intend to find oul why and do all we
<br />can to r('ctit\' the situation,"
<br />
<br />Will the soil be fertile-or sterile?
<br />
<br />Controlling salinity in ..penl-shale piles depend~
<br />ht'avily on the succe.... ot r('\'e~elatjon, and man\'
<br />environmentali",s tear revegetation won't work. Te..ti.
<br />iv'ing beiore the Hou..e Commill('e on Interior and
<br />In..ular Aifair.., <,ub(ommiUee on mines and mining,
<br />Caroh'n lohnson, (hairpt'r..on oj the Colorado Open
<br />Space Council's (COSO Mining \Vork..hop, said: "The
<br />..pent ..hale re..ulting from tht, TOSCO 11 proce.... is a
<br />bl.lcl.., t.1kum-powderv sub"tance, which has been
<br />cooked. It is sterile."
<br />Oil....hale ...poke..men di..agrf'e. In iaet, ..pveral claim
<br />thatthl:' ..pent ..hale i.. ..imilar. it not identical. to mueh
<br />01 the ..oil in the oil...hale region bl'cau..e natural
<br />to ref'.. 01 pro..ion and \\eatht>ring of shale cliff.. create...
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