Show Andrus okays Colorado oil shale plan The Interior Depart Department nt overruling ruling environmental protests has given the go-ahead go for efforts to tap lap a new energy source oil shale that may add 18 million barrels of oil to the nations nation's enery supply But with an issue on his hands that some experts believe is certain to end up In court Interior Interior Interior In In- Secy Cecil Andrus has imposed a list of 12 conditions which oil companies must accept before they can start their work ANImus SAID last week that Occidental Oil Shale and Ashland Oil can start as soon as next month with prototype shale oil development in Colorados Colorado's Creek Basin if It they accept the 12 conditions designed to ensure environmental protection Andrus turned down a demand by the Environmental Defense Fund the Colorado Open Space Council Mining Workshop and Friends of the Earth for a supplemental environmental environmental en en- impact statement He lie said that all issues involved in the prototype work were covered in an initial impact statement and have been subject to public deba debate te Andrus' Andrus approval of the oil shale development plan cleared the way for work on a acre federal lease 20 miles west of Rio Blanco Store Colo for which Occidental and Ashland paid million The two companies plan to cook oil out of the gray shale underground and then pump the fuel to the surface as if it were natural crude oil Development plans for a nearby lease held by Gulf Oil Corp and Standard Oil Co of Indiana are still under review The Interior Department said the environmental and economic results of the shale program may decide the future of shale's contribution to the US U.S. energy supply Shale deposits in Colorado Utah and Wyoming are believed to hold more than 18 trillion barrels of oil WITH TillS THIS prototype program were we're were breaking new ground Andrus said in a statement That calls for Cor careful monitoring of oC the environmental en en- impacts at every step a. a and provisions tor lor making corrections along the way as they a are re needed Included In the 12 conditions Imposed on oil companies were requirements for separate approval of or final toxic waste disposal plans water management plans and abandonment plans and additional additional additional ad ad- reports on the behavior of shale from which oil has been removed These conditions make it clear that operations of this prototype program will be carefully watched at every step so that measures will be taken to protect the environment Andrus said |