Show I It t r tt t t Hearing on oil shale i shows support J The first of four tour hearings for forthe forthe forthe the purpose of or receiving comments relating to the federal prototype oil shale le leasing tracts U U-a U a end and U U-b U b detailed development plan was held In Vernal Tuesday af at- Nine favorable statements were were entered Into the official record eight were read and one submitted PRESIDING OVER the hearing was John Rampton administration law judge asked by the Secretary of Interior to conduct same Panel members included Paul Sa Sant nt US U.S. Dept of Interior P P. P Rutledge U U. U S. S Geological Survey Ll Lloyd yd Ferguson Vernal District manager and Ronald Ronad W W. W Daniels Division of Oil Oil and Gas Gas' and Reclamation Dept Natural Reso Resources State of Utah Th Those se reading statements encouraging White River Shale Project to c continue their oil oil shale venture and approving the detailed development plans presented were Chuck E. E Doney manager engineering White River Shale Project Orlan Cook Warren Richardson Richard Richard- son and Melvin J. J Burke Uintah County Commissioners Stanley Anderson Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce president Alvin Kay vice president of Uintah Water Users and former Vernal City Mayor Sam Snyder Vernal City Mayor Roy Royal l B B. Henderson Henderson Hen Hen- enderson en- en derson who filled in for Dwight who was ill and C. C R. R Henderson pr presented a letter from Ui Uintah tah Engineers and Land Survey for the record EXCERPTS FROM the leadoff statement given by Mr Doney is as as follows This plan is the r result sult of two years of int intensive study and preparation and shows shows' our concept of how a anew anew anew new energy source can be developed on these leases in an orderly and efficient manner Since no oil shale industry indus exists in the United States today w we we have conservatively defined a program to ex extend tend pre present nt knowledge knowledge- andt and t technology t to th the ultimate t development of a comm commercial facility A high level of technical exp expertise has been used in the preparation of all of our project studies and of the plan itself The Project Team has expended expended expended ex ex- ex- ex over ver engineering man-hours man and several million dollars in preparation the of this Detailed Development Plan The result is a summary document which is condensed from 45 internal studies and reports totaling more than pages of drawings and text In cooperation with the Area Oil Shale Supervisor we have circulated draft sections of the plan for review and commentary commentary commentary com com- by his office and various interested county state and federal agencies Of the several hundred comments received we have Ignored none Most have resulted in modifications incorporated in inthe inthe inthe the final plan some resulted 1 from Crom the rather fragmented nature of oC the draft review process and some suggested changes were not made in our our final plan for various reasons For most of oC us in the project the preparation of a D Detailed Development Plan is a new experience in range long-range planning and there is no doubt that the plan contains elements which will prove to be wrong In recognition of C this we have attempted to compensate by describing the presently known areas of doubt and allowing ourselves and the Mining Supervisor the flexibility to correct future mistakes hopefully before they happen We believe that our document meets the stated requirements of of a a. a Detailed Development Plan Plan that it is a good plan and we request approval of oC it as an early positive step towards development of our enormous oil shale resources FIVE persons were present at the first hearing When officials were were questioned by panel members concerning the problems problems' or hardships cal caused sed by suspending the WhiteRiver White WhiteRiver River filver Shale Project for Cor a two year period all those questioned said they thought it was a good idea and it would give more time to more thoroughly prepare for the impact that would woold eventually come with the full development of commercial production of crude oil from shale Other hearings were held hell I InVernal in inVernal inVernal Vernal at 7 pm p.m. Tu Tuesday and they will be continued in Salt Lake City today Thursday at atthe atthe atthe the Salt Palace at 3 and 7 pm p.m. Written statements will be received d by the Office of f the Area Oil Oit Shale Supervisor until August 27 |