OCR Text |
Show Anschutz road route now a controversy Area residents are being asked to comment on proposed routes to two drilling sites in the Book Cliffs which are on lease to Anschutz Corporation, Comm. Harvey Mer-rell Mer-rell told Chamber of Commerce members Tuesday. Merrell said he had been contacted by Lee Kuhre, environmental environ-mental engineer for Anschutz, requesting support from Grand County residents for a road up Thompson Canyon rather than the alternative which has gained support from some corners, proposed pro-posed to go up Hay Canyon. "The southern route up Thompson Canyon appears more favorable from every standpoint," said Merrell. "The cost factor if better, it is environmentally better, the safety factor is more favorable, and it is shorter," he went on. In addition, he pointed out that the Hay Canyon route would tend tc "funnel traffic into Grand Junction rather than into Grand County." Some Utah agancies which have been involved in Anschutz's plan to drill advocate the northern route, up Hay Canyon, howevei local officials and residents have not been included in any of the discussions on the subject, Merrell criticized. He said he had pointed this out to Utah Governor Scott Matheson when he was here recently, and that the governor had apologized, blaming the limited time factor for the oversight. According to Kuhre, the cost of constructing a road up Thompson Canyon is projected at $85,000 while the Hay Canyon project is nearly double, $160,000. On top of the cost factor, the Hay Canyon road would entail construction of potentially hazardous ' switch backs up a cliff face, he told Merrell. Merrell asked that the Chamber, Cham-ber, and other local interested residents and firms, send their comment to Anschutz Corporation, 1110 Denver Club Building, Denver, Den-ver, Co. 80202, Attn: Lee Kuhre. The drilling sites some 25 miles north of the Crescent Junction-Thompson area, have been the subject of recent dispute between Anschutz and arms of the Utah Department of . Natural Resources, Re-sources, because of a State Land Board decision designating the area as roadless. Because of its leases on the land, Anschutz has apparently won this dispute. Merrell's remarks at the regular Chamber meeting followed a presentation by Salt Lake City Commission candidate Marilee Latta, who detailed a number of suggestions for improving and extending the image of the community, upgrading merchandising merchan-dising techniques, etc. |