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<br /> <br /> <br />0", <br />Ja", <br /> <br />posed oi in mountain \"311(>\"5. So iar, e'\perim(>nf~ have <br />shown Ihill 't"vr,l] plant "pt'CIf'S (an ~ro\\ and fepro- <br />dun,' on "pent ...hale, but the pl.ants {'aten by deer, are <br />an unknown quantih. Tests are nO\\ being carried out <br />on these brQ\\Sf:' "pede... <br />Some long-term probh_'ms could also plague re\ege- <br />lalion. Manv ['colog" groups point oullhal effect", that <br />may not appf'ar until 5. 10 or even 20 year.. after <br />revegetation could destroy the planted species. Indus- <br />try sources claim that thesE' pOlenliallong-lerm prob- <br />lems can bE' resolved, it they do materialize. <br />Socioeconomics; Oil shale certainlv will bring ben- <br />efits-jobs, money-to the region; but detriments <br />must also be expected. A major wort\': boom-town <br />woes-the common eitert oi booming economies in <br />rural area.., with sociological boomerangs such as <br />soaring rates of petty crime and economic boomer.lng.. <br />such as rising taxes. And many say that agriculturE' and <br />tourism mav suffer trom oil-shale land and \\atPr use. <br />And some bE'lieve that unconventional. relativel", c1pan <br />energy ..ouree.-., ..uch as solar and geothermal, will <br />eventuallv bu...t the oil-shale indu...trv; how(>ver, othPrs <br />say that shale oil \\ill remain an important re..ource, <br />barring major technological change.... <br />The r€'sponsibililY of planning ior these potential <br />problems re..t-. largel... on local governments, which <br />some observers ...a\ are naturallv ill-equipped for the <br />task. Today, government ofticial.. and several oil-shale <br />d'-"\'el~ers are im'oked in planning for the coming <br />boom. But tremendous. coordinated enort... art' <br />n..redw:i. <br />Tales: Oil ..hale will g€'nNat€' a large 1.1\ base, but <br />most sources belie\'t' IhE' oil-..hale related population, <br />and the need tor pt'ople-orientpd services like ..chool.. <br />and sewers, \\ill come betore the ta\ base provide...lhf' <br />needed revenuf'. So oil-shale counties initially may <br />iace maior tunding problt'ms-known a.. the lax lag. <br />Most proposed <;olution.. call lor tedNal wan'.. to <br />cover lax la~ cosl.... but so far thp it.deral government <br />ha... shown Iinlt. inclination to prO\idE' the nE'edpd <br />mone\'. Some oil-sh,de comp;lnies haw indicated that <br />tht'\, may ht'lp t'a..e the problem with prepay menl at <br />t.n.es-if state 1,1\\" p~rmit. <br />leasing: Critic.. Of the Interior Ot'pt.'s protohpe <br />h>a..ing progr.lm (har~e that iI.. deductions and credit.. <br />are l.uge enough 10 make th~ lea...t's "gi\ea\\av..." And, <br />..orne add. tht" lea"e doe.. not require production ratp<; <br />that \\ould ju...tit\ the le,hing term.... Program advo- <br /> <br />catp.., who <;ep the competitive bidding procpss as a <br />gO\ernment hedgp against .my "giveawa\"s," say the <br />leasp term.. included in(pntive" to get the winning <br />bidders to accelerate their plans jar development and <br />commercial plant.... But the program ."till ha"i many <br />critic..., irom iederal congrt'ssmen to (-'nvironmental <br />group"'. <br />The NAtion V5, the Oil-ShAle States: "Will we get all <br />the development headaches while others take our <br />energy resource.-.!" Toda\ this is a frequent lv-voiced <br />it'ar in the oil-shale ..tales. The main \\orry: In its rush <br />for energy resource,>-oi which the region has man~' <br />besides oil shale--the nation \\on'{ care what happens <br />to the area and Mountain \Vest senators and represent- <br />atives could be out-voted in Wa...hington. Thus, main- <br />taming a strong degrep ot control over its destinv is <br />probably the biggest challenge prespnled to the region <br />bv oil-shalp development. <br /> <br />lVhat are the potential pdyoffs <br />to the Mountain ~Vesl! <br /> <br />Energ)' Supply: Some oil-shalt, advocates point out <br />that the indu<;\rv (auld evt'nluallv create a special local <br />energ\' pool in a region nO\\ at the end of energy- <br />import pipelinps. Mo<;t would-be shale developers are <br />planning to send lhpir product to other areas of the <br />countrv; but '<ome ...ouret'" ha\'e <;uggt.sted th.lt. with <br />competitive pricing and legislalh'l' incentivps, the oil- <br />shale states could keep enough 01 the oil in their area <br />to supph local needs and prevent regional energ\"- <br />shortage hardships. <br />Knowledge BAse: ThE' unprl'('edt>nled pu<;h for de- <br />\plopment will bring to the nation a major intangiblt' <br />benelit: addilional knowledge. Oil-sh.lle den'lopment <br />will olccelprate the learning cunp in regard 10 the <br />region'<;, resources. And planning techniques will im- <br />prove. <br />Economic benefits: Oil shalp will bring to the region <br />"ome potential major problpms in the form of both <br />environmental and ..ocio(-'conomic impacts. But it will <br />also brin~ mam tangible benpfits in the form oi jobs, <br />mont'\ and economic development. ..\nd the multiplier <br />lactor will bt, \en' much at work. Periph('ral industries <br />will be aHracted to the arpa and a need for more <br />bus lOt...... ..;en'ice.., products and people \\ill bl' gener- <br />ated. In lact, ",amp obsener... believe that in the'midst <br />01 a po..sible rece~sion, the region could haw" one oi <br />the fe\\ booming economies in the \\orld. <br /> <br />1\1<1,;11\1 \\l'>T 6f"("H~I"It~ fOlHO" IM"'''~'''' 1'<4 5 <br />