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Show A-15 VIEWPOINTS www.parkrecord.com SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, MARCH 12-15, 2011 EDITORIAL Bonanza Park is back on the radar A bout eight years ago, Mark J. Fischer coaxed a loosely knit group of business owners on or near Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive to think of themselves as a distinct demographic within the city. He also began talking to City Hall about a vast overhaul of the area that would convert a hodgepodge of warehouses and storage areas into an upscale urban neighborhood. But that was before the economic collapse of 2008. The subsequent recession put Fischer's grand plans for a transportation hub surrounded by upscale boutiques, restaurants and housing units on hold while existing businesses scrambled to stay alive. But this week Fischer's team was back at the Marsac Building with a new set of plans and a new partner - Park City Mountain Resort. The two entities own several parcels within the area roughly bordered by Bonanza Drive, Homestake Road, Iron Horse Drive and Kearns Boulevard that for many years was largely defined by the lumberyard, that has since shut down. Much of the area still feels like an industrial zone, which was appropriate when the town was smaller and Prospector was considered the outskirts of town. As undeveloped land within the city limits becomes scarcer, it makes sense to consider redeveloping this centrally located and underutilized property. If, in the same process, the city can work with the developers of Treasure to move some density off the environmentally sensitive mountainside above Old Town and into the Bonanza Park district, the city as a whole could reap some extraordinary benefits. We would encourage the city, along with the developers of Bonanza and Treasure to work together. Granted, negotiations are complicated enough without adding precedent-setting concepts like transferring development rights from one parcel to another. But this is exactly the kind of sophisticated, forward-thinking planning that is needed to accommodate growth without compromising the environment or residents' quality of life. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Natural gas: Look at the whole picture Editor: I am writing in response to a comment that I heard on the radio that concerned me. The topic being discussed was a proposal to limit heated driveways. I would like to applaud Claudia McMullin for bringing attention to this issue. The issue that caused me concern was the comment about plow vehicles powered by "clean" natural gas. To clarify, this comment was not made by Claudia McMullin. WhiJe natural gas may burn cleaner than other fossil fuels, the extraction process is anything but clean. I hope that anyone that is not aware of the social and ecological devastation caused during the extraction process takes the time to educate themselves on this important issue. The movie "Gasland" is an easy way to learn more, and is showing on April 20th at the Park City Film Series. Alison Godlewski Park City Snowmobiler rescue was truly amazing Editor: Our families wanted to take a moment to thank everyone from the Wasatch County. Sheriff's office, Wasatch County Search and Rescue Team, Summit County Search and Rescue Team, Utah Highway Patrol, the Forest Rangers, Life Flight, Brian Rowser with the fixed-wing airplane, Cory Hoopiiaina with his incredible flying machine, High Velocity Aviation with an additional helicopter, the amazing neighbors that brought enough food for everyone and offered their homes with open doors, and of course all of our remarkable friends and family that stood by our sides with all the help and support imaginable. It was truly amazing to sit back and see how dedicated everyone was in finding Brock Besner and Craig D'Allessandro. We could not have done it without every person involved as each person offered something individually amazing. Again, we are so incredibly grateful for everything that was done to find those two men alive and well. We wanted to remind everyone that search and rescue teams are made up of all volunteers; they do not get paid for their time. If you could take a moment and visit the link below and donate any amount at- all it would help ensure that we can keep this wonderful cause alive. We have also opened an account at Zions Bank under Wasatch County Search and Rescue where you can make a donation as well. Please visit: http://www.co. wasatch.ut.us/departments/public_sa fety Iegal_services/sheriff/search rescue/donation.aspx Our sincere gratitude. Destiny Besner On behalf of the Besner and D 'Aliessandro families LETTERS POLICY |pj I *Jhe Park Record welcomes letters to Ihe • V editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines: They must include the home ; (street) address and telephone number ; of the author. No letter will be published under an assumed name? Letters must , not contain libelous material. Letters ; should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are loo long or if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or' , obscene. Writers are limited to one letter , every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 10 Individuals and/or businesses. Send your letter to: editor@parkrecord.com For the record ••i -'3.I 4 3 GUEST EDITORIAL Why bother cooking what nature failed to finish! -I* By Mike Duncan, Writers on the Range Tar sands are no longer a what-if. This water-intensive mining may be coming to Utah soon, and what it could become is a big deal indeed. Unlike gas wells, extracting oil from sand is neither quiet nor unobtrusive. Despite admirable efforts to minimize water use and reduce water pollution, the industry uses considerable water and generates wastes, especially if pipelines are built and field refineries established to avoid trucking the thick oil. It is estimated that making usable oil from tar sands consumes four barrels of energy to make 10 barrels of synthetic crude, generating greenhouse gases in the process. It requires a huge infrastructure to supply that up-front energy and transport the oil out. Of course, we need oil, and as a statewide industry, it might supply a few percent of our daily oil consumption. It might also depress the rising price of gas a bit. It will generate well-paying jobs and tax revenue for cash-strapped governments. It will also compete with renewable energy for public subsidies. We will not tell Saudi Arabia to get lost. A lot of rural country, some of it in or near spectacularly scenic areas that attract cash-laden tourists, could eventually be transformed into open pits, refineries and rolling hills of porous beach sand covered by a thin layer of topsoil whose reclamation will be neither easy nor quick. Barring the unlikely success of an appeal from organizations that include Living Rivers of Moab, Earth Energy Resources, a small Canadian company, will eventually get its permit from the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining. The company plans to develop a 200-acre, 150-foot-deep mine on state-owned land atop East Tavaputs Plateau. If successful, in 10 years it could apply for 2,000 acres. The lease lies within the 225 square-miles of PR Springs, one of 10 Special Tar Sands Areas designated in 1981 by Congress, back when James Watt was Interior Secretary. Energy Resources says it plans to strip mine and proudly points out that it uses less water and energy than the process used in Athabasca, Alberta. Here's what Earth Energy Resources plans to do: The ore, a cross between asphalt and sandstone, will be dynamited, scooped, hauled and crushed. Utah's oil sands hydrocarbon is called a bitumen, heavier and more viscous than Canadian tar sands, and more difficult to separate from sandstone. Citrus oil, ideally from Brazilian oranges and lemons according to the patent application, is added so that the coalesced bitumen and oil is light enough to float on water where it is skimmed off. While citrus oil is a hydrocarbon solvent, one part surfactant per 200 parts oil is added as well; it is It is estimated that making usable oil from tar sands consumes four barrels of energy to make JO barrels of synthetic crude, generating greenhouse gases in the process." Witconate P-1059™ made by Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry Corp., a Swedish company. EER doesn't discuss where the surfactant goes when the oil and water mixture settles. It appears that it could end up in damp reclaimed sand unless removed otherwise. Its data sheet says it's moderately toxic to aquatic organisms. In toxicology, concentration is everything, so its not clear if it's a problem. Additionally, smaller amounts of an anti-foaming agent, Guardex PC-O-H 4625, are added, and possibly water softening chemicals such as lime, soda ash, soda water or chlorine to control pH. The exact recipe is secret. About 10 parts water per part oil are added and heated to 100°F, an energy intensive step. The resulting slurry is agitated and then allowed to settle. The water is drained, centrifuged and about 80 percent recycled, leaving damp sand with watersoluble chemicals and residual citrus oil-bitumen to be re-deposited in the ore body. The citrus oil is distilled from the bitumen and recycled, another energy intensive step. Mike Duncan is a contributor fix Writers on the Range, a sendee W. (hcn.org). He is a former aerospac& engineer now living hi Moab, Utahl* The Pafk Record Staff1! t$Zpi$^ !*.'•. f*" ' PUBLISHER Andy Bemhard Editor Nan Chalat-Noaker Staff writen Jay Hamburger Jt'-iy'.-- Pat Parkinson ii^-.v* Joe Lair -: Andrew Kirk Scott IwasaW ,. - Douglas Greenwood^ Christopher Kamrani£j Contributing wriien Tom Clyde Jay Meehan ^;^.r ' «••- • S«i. &P°PY 8 d i l D r Steve Phillips Amy Roberts Larry Warren Da vid Hampshire \ ] ADVERTISING C(a»ified advertising Ashlee Thomas Office manager Jennifer Lynch •> Circulation manager Lacy Brundy Accounting manager Kale Fischer Advertising director Valerie Spung Advertising salas Lori Gull Jennifer MusiaJ flachael Young-TiltoJ Barbara Yarbenet > : Jodi Hecker * Photographers Grayson West Tyler Cobb Production director Matt Gordon Production Scott Schlenker Pat Hamaker Photos by Tyler Cobb Asked at City Hall and City Library What issue got your attention during this Utah legislative session? Mark BrezoH, Farmmgton I did not listen too much, but funding is always the big issue. What's left - bitumen - mustbe heated to get it into barrels for' trucking to a heavy oil refinery and! heated again to get it out. As in* Canada, bitumen must be upgraded to make synthetic crude oil, andi upgrading requires roughly 17 per-I cent of a barrel of energy. It uses" water as well to cool the porous! coke to get it in and out of trans-; portation carts. '. -^ All of this, then, to recover what; nature didn't finish cooking. Is it worth it? Not in my book. Let-s' spend our energy development dol~\ lars on more promising technolo^ gies that leave wild country ih^ peace. *% Roger Evans, HoDaday The seismic bills that I worked on. They died in committee, and SB243 was amended so it did not affect Park City. Tommy Yonngblood, Park City It was closing the liquor store in Park City. That is not good. Kevin Young, Salt Lake It is a toss-up between the allimportant state firearms issue and being able to kill feral cats. : :3 Big Al Bryant, Park City ^ The thing that got my attention i»tj how effusing they make everything' for voters. It is as if they dont want£* you to kno\*what the issues are.-^ facebook Add your response to the question of the week on The Park Record's facebook page: facebook.com/parkBeco^* |
