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Show fr SD stale found The Uintah County Community Im-act Im-act Council, comprising of eight local ntities, has made a request for over 30 million from the state's oil shale onus money. The request has been ubmitted to Governor Scott M. atheson for a portion of the $45 to $65 lillion the state will receive from the deral oil shale tracts U-a and U-b Dnus money paid by White River Shale roject and tied up by court order since m. Now that it is apparent that the court ill release the escrow fund of nearly 127 million the Uintah Impact Council ays the state should share the bonus loney with the area receiving the im-act. im-act. According to officials, the com-etitive com-etitive bidding for federal oil shale acts was designed to provide impact Dmmunities with the necessary up ont money for capital costs caused by opulation growth. The oil shale bonus lonies offer a one time source of funds r public projects in the local area, ither oil shale projects in the county re located on state land and do not pro-ide pro-ide any bonus funds. According to state laws the oil shale onus money will go to the Natural lesource Development Revolving und. A bill is being introduced in the udget session of the Utah Legislature lis month to change the funds use so ley can be used as front end money for npacted areas caused by resource evelopment. Representative Uayle IcKeachnie stated he was seeking $20 lillion of the bonus bid money to be us-d us-d in the local area. In the request to the governor the Im-act Im-act Council breakdown of the $30,011,804 in bonus money funds is as follows: Uintah County, $6,000,000; Uintah Uin-tah School District, $16,300,000; Vernal City, $1,486,200; Ashley Valley Water and Sewer Improvement District, $2,349,000; Maeser Water Improvement District, $679,000; Jensen Water Improvement Im-provement District, $1,172,260; Tridell-Lapoint Tridell-Lapoint Water Improvement District, $354,100; and Ballard City, $1,671,504. These requests were prepared by the eight entities comprising the impact mitigation task force who have been represented by over 21 persons meeting during the past months. Each entity specified projects where it would spend its impact funds. In a state assessment of five year capital facilities needed in Uintah County, a preliminary report by AP Associates lists the total needs of the county at $120,753,000. This budget need has been distributed as follows: Uintah County, $56,443,000; Uintah School District, $25,863,000; Uintah County municipalities, $18,375,000; and Uintah County water and sewer districts, $20,072,000. Energy developments will be providing pro-viding royalty and tax revenues to the state and revenues and fees to the local governments once they come on line, but the initial construction and start up phases require large expenditures for capital facilities, pointed out the Impact Im-pact Council, in its request to Governor Matheson. According to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, oil shale royalty funds such as U-a and U-b, "shall be used by such states and subdivisions sub-divisions as the legislature of each state may direct giving priority to those sub divisions socially or economically impacted im-pacted by the development of minerals leased under this Act for 1. planning, 2. construction and maintenance of public facilities, and 3. provision of public services." ser-vices." Colorado has followed the intent of the Act by distributing nearly all of its bonus money from C-a and C-b tracts to oil shale impacted communities. Utah's law passes its funds to a natural resources development revolving account ac-count where the bonus money is to be deposited. The Utah resource account provides that the legislature may use the resource money for loans or, "it may be used for counties, cities, towns, or other political subdivisions of this state socially or economically impacted by the development of these minerals." With this interpretation the Uintah County Community Impact Council has requested that $30 million of the bonus monies be used in Uintah County, where the impact from oil shale development is being felt and where the oil shale bonus monies originated. Rep. McKeachnie stated he thinks the Legislature, that will convene in its 20 day budget session starting Jan. 11, will pass a bill to give $20 million of the bonus money to Uintah County. He stated he doubted that the entire $30 million request would pass because of all the other pressing budget needs in the state. He also stated that funds should come from other companies other than the White River oil shale project pro-ject royalty money as front-end money. |