Show w r rM M t By Jack Wallis It was disheartening to say the least to hear that Friday the Utah Depart ment of Natural Resources and Energy announced that the White River Dam project would probably be delayed another two years We cant can't help but think that the en en- en environmentalists have won another round in the fight to keep the White While WhiteRiver River project in Uintah County in lim lim- limbo boo bo booThe The most recent attack has been through the US Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency After losing the bout with the theUS US Fish and Wildlife Service over the Colorado the turned their wrath through two other federal agencies to boondoggle boon this project The irony is that on Aug 28 a few miles upstream from the proposed Utah White River dam site Color Colorado do held a aground ground groundbreaking breaking for a dam on the same river near Rangely The Rangely Reservoir at Taylor Draw five miles east of Rangely has sailed through all the necessary permits and the wrath of environmentalists with flying colors The Colorado planning was started after the proposal for the Utah project on the White River but the Utah dam has had nothing but trouble Another point that adds to our sion is the statement made by state of of- of officials that the oil shale industries are not ready for White River water and that it will not be needed until 1988 Our understanding is that a water supply is needed before oil shale can be developed Development Corp will start next year if they get US Syn Energy support White River Shale Oil Corp is spending million In one year on its federal leases The bridge across White River south of Bonanza is being built with state water resource money The bridge is currently under construction entailing extra expense to be high enough to be above the waterline of the proposed White River Reservoir Also over 13 million has been spent on a new road to White River If water from the White River is not going to be available until 1988 it is a safe bet that the oil companies will not be interested in doing very much until they are assured of this water supply What assurance do the oil shale com com- companies have that in two years the en- en environmentalists en will not again exert their influence and again stall the pro pro- project Every year the White River project is delayed the more it will cost and the themore themore more regulations It will face This is the problem with the Bonneville Unit of the CUP The longer it is stalled the harder it became to make the project feasible mainly because of inflation Sooner or later the White River pro will be built It has already doubled in cost from the original plans Do we want to wait until the cost trebles The White River dam and reservoir will benefit more than just the oil shale companies The project will provide a recreational facility in an area that has very little recreation attraction The project will provide a dependable water source on a river that has an irregular flow high during spring runoff and low during the rest of the year The project will provide revenue from the genera tion of hydroelectric power One more irony to this project IS the situation Deseret Generation and Transmission Cooperative found itself in when building its Bonanza Power Plant Water from the White River pro would have been much closer and less expensive than to build a long pipeline from the Green River and pump water But the White River water was not available so had to do dothe dothe the next best thing How can anyone say White River water is not needed in southeastern Uintah County Over five projects have been proposed for around the banks of the White River in southeastern Uintah County and all of them will require a dependable water supply By saying the need is not there and no major water facilities should be built until it is proven that the oil shale industry is economically viable is ignoring the facts What about White River Shale Oil and Tosco If no water is available they surely will not pursue their pro but if the water source is available it will be an incentive to get started We have said it before and we still think the White dam is a good project without the synthetic energy projects This brings us back to the only reason for protesting the construction of the White River dam and that is just the simple reason the environmentalists dont don't like dams and they will use every crazy reason in the world to block their construction We still wonder how the Rangely dam escaped the wrath of the haters dam We feel the only way we will get the White River dam is to stay in the ring and fight it out to the finish We think the need and reason is on our side But the are increasing the costs until one wonders how such a reasonable project could turn int into such sucha a mitigation nightmare We hope the sponsors and supporters of the White River dam project dont don't lose faith and that they renew their determination to see the fulfillment of this needed reclamation project |