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<br />Others feet thaI neither water nor construction will
<br />limit the indu..trv-people will. "More than am'thing
<br />else," <;a,,, Dole 01 Colony, "I think it i.. the desire of
<br />the people that is thl' ultimate limiting laoor. HO\v
<br />badly do the people need the ('nerg\'? Ii the people
<br />don', ..\'ant us to develop. we won't develop."
<br />The desire of the "people" is still. tor the most part,
<br />an unmeasured quantil\'. Tht:' question is not \,hether
<br />there should be an oil-...hal(' indu"lr\', but hO\\ much,
<br />hmv iast. Envitonml.'ntal impact<. are among the IOp-
<br />rolled concerns. Others point to .,ocial and ('conomic
<br />impacts common to m,ln\' large industrial boom.. and
<br />say that unless more time io;. allowed to put logf'lher
<br />planning and financing. local commumlie'" will be run
<br />over. And some regional taxpa\ers iear that lhe) ""ill
<br />have to pick up a largf' tdb ior oil-shalf' dewlopmenl.
<br />at least initiall~'. Thus, some suggest that the people oi
<br />Colorado should be allmH'd to vote on iull oil-<ihalt,
<br />development.
<br />Manv Colorado H'sidt'nts, oi course, would vole for
<br />lull development. As Ihev ..pe it, if a national energ\'
<br />recession does arrive, a.. prt'dicted, lhev ma\' have the
<br />only booming econon1\ in the country. :'\:e\\ jobs,
<br />t'conomic development In an area that has long sought
<br />it. and eventuall\'. a sizdble tax base will be oil-shale
<br />legacies.
<br />In addition, "omt~ ..<t\ that oil <,hale's contribution
<br />could be 01 Spf'Ci.11 t'nerg\ bene ill to the \\outain West
<br />region. Most potential oil-shale de\'t'lopf'rs Me no\\
<br />planning to ..end lht, oil thev produce 10 other area<i at
<br />the countr.'. But. Piorzhpimer point.. oul. iar t',ample,
<br />that "\\'ith legisl.1lt'd incentl\es and compNitiH' pric-
<br />ing, Colorado could encourage somebod\ 10 refine
<br />thi.. material right in the state," thus supplving Colo-
<br />rado's oil need.. fir"!, a boon to local tourist. agricul-
<br />tural and other induqries. Others <.a\' tht' stale could
<br />reap large linancial beneiits as an oil (>'\.pOrlN, again
<br />wilh proper planning and neces.,ar. ne\\ state re~ula-
<br />tion,>. "With planning and (reati\(' thinking:' ",1\..
<br />Plorzheimer, "\\12' can a.,..ure that oil shale \\ ill bring
<br />,1dvantagl's 10 lhe region.
<br />
<br />looking bad. over oil-shale'... hislorv, remembering
<br />it has bt'en on thlo' brink 01 development ior decades,
<br />one thought stands oul: it i<i probablv lucky that
<br />development is coming no\\' rather than 50 vears ago.
<br />In tho...e dav..., environmental impacts. social and {'(o-
<br />nomic con~t'qupn("{'s were unimportanl, even non-
<br />exi'ilent, la(lOrs in industrial planning: devt'lopment,
<br />\\,1.. an end all to il'it'11. Toda\', qu(:,<'\ion" oi how,
<br />where, whv and b\ whom do ("ount. Thu<, oil-shale
<br />developmpnt /JOII is recpi\'ing \\ide attention, with
<br />pl,mning studie.... debates and impact analy,>es multi-
<br />plving. And it appt'ar, that b\' drawing the limelight
<br />tir..t, oil..halt' could serH' a,> the catalv'it ior an integrat-
<br />ed planning ehort that ha.. no precedent.
<br />But there is another dirlerence be'tween now and 50
<br />\'t'ar" ago-.m energv nisi", Todav attiludes ,He differ.
<br />ent, bul ";0 art" the pressurt''i lor development oi not
<br />onlv oil shal{' but .11...0 olher ,""'ounta;n West energy
<br />trea<ilHeS ~uch a<, coal. uranium and natural gas. And
<br />sonw .\\ountain West rt'sidt'nl.. iear that il the energy
<br />nisi... becomes an energ\' panic, the nation might well
<br /><;Iampede the region set'king iull dt'velopment oi all its
<br />t'nergv re..ources. Then, en'n more than under normal
<br />ronditions, the ialt' 01 the region \\Quld rCSI on state
<br />and local government'i and their constituents, \\ho
<br />must take the iillal re..ponsibilitv to insure that beneiits
<br />oUf\\eigh problems.
<br />Summarizing the "iiluation Irom the \'antage point oi
<br />Februarv lQ7..;, it can be ..een Ihat the energ" crisis and
<br />it.. implications lor America'... economic '>t'curit\ have
<br />..h(mn clearl\' thp ahNnati\e<i 01 not dt:'\eloping oil
<br />shale. Industf\ ...ourct'<, emph,l...izt' Ihat oil "halp will
<br />not be a major energ\ contributor, but, a... one e,ecu-
<br />ti\e put it: "\\'t' are going to need all thp energv
<br />reSourCl'., \\e can gel. And ii oil ..halt, i., not de\ploped
<br />\\P will simplv be ..hart that amount oi energ\." And
<br />the Imptic:alions oi ""hort" nO\\ OCCUP\ tir..t pldce on
<br />the nation's problt'm Iisl. Thus oil ...hJle nOli is in-
<br />t'"itablt'. AI<.o clear is the challenge ahead lor the
<br />region .J.. it ('nter... pprhap" it.; most d\ ndmic {'ra.
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<br />(\(Cl'H\l \\hT 8f"'CH\\"R:~ fDITlC,... h>b'u~r\ lQ7'-I 31
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