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Show PRIMARY F 7! v C0LD WEATHER COMPETITION Registered ; ' rrI';'vV,ri'i'ti;wm.n, "-S scouts unta in tho ' Ht n n V '-"'''"'.I.I i rim k. 131 21 V"V."'k-rh -- V iO! " w l,i,u I 132 200 MkMiLU. Mr Snow4hu- ASI'LN BROOK. el.kl, H,fh. en limes. RPAITYIMr m he lo Hinh. in ihe rU-M-l I, liNV,. cms and km 2(K ami low in the low2lo-2F. Qaa A7 low single OCC r I ,ltIiU. States Prin i? s 39jrJLlflaioK l a 4 1 Tuesday, Ft.L1 err UT 1 1 c "605 i k M 4tjf 11 5th Year No. 5 Vernal, Utah 84078 www.vernal.com Wednesday a y .'J ) : ,' ' ' 4 4 OQckts Your Hometown Newspaper V A if - . 1 f - 1 Wild and Scenic ; .... . .. --, i -T . ; j V"I I ,-r.,n. -. -, rf,n, n,-,' , A L. , Scott Ruppe and Mark Raymond of Vernal discuss a map displaying display-ing Alternative 3 of the Wild and Scenic Rivers draft environmental impact statement for Ashley National Forest at public meeting Thursday night at Western Park. Fatal crashes figures remain unchanged in Uintah Basin By Laky McMubby Uintah Basin News Service The number of fatal crashes on highways in the Uintah Basin has remained fairly constant over the past four years, according to a recently released state report, despite a dramatic increase in the number of vehicles on the road. According to the latest fatal crash statistics report from the state departments of Transportation Transporta-tion and Public Safety,"2007saw " five traffic deaths on Duchesne County roads and eight traffic eaths on Uintah County roads. These statistics are comparable to 2004, when there were four deaths in Duchesne County and seven deaths in Uintah County. Daggett County hasn't reported re-ported a fatal traffic accident in the past four years, the study reported. Local law enforcement officials of-ficials say the fact that fatality figures have stayed fairly constant con-stant is telling when one considers consid-ers how much activity on Basin roads has grown during the past few years. "When you increase the number num-ber of marbles in the box, chances are that they're going to strike each other more often, " said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Chugg, who oversees the agency's office for the tri-county area. "That's just how it works. We're not seeing a definite increasing trend emerging when it comes to fatalities and we're seeing slight decreases in some areas, even in light of all the increased traffic." So exactly how much has traf ' " """-'JJ,nf ' J "' 1 1 -ii. u n mmmiuiALii ... . . - .1 t .: ' , 'i '' ' . L I Amy Hansen explains results from tests on oil shale taken from the White River Mine south of Bonanza. Oil Shale Exploration Company has a 10-year lease on the site and expects to be producing as much as 250 barrels of oil per hour by the end of phase two in its research and development. i n P,X1T RHAI.TY PROI'KSSIONALS 1285 West Hwy 40 Vernal, Utah 84078 (435) 789-EXIT (3948) fic in the Uintah Basin increased over the past five years? The most accurate answer to this question is provided by 43 UDOT automated traffic recorder stations sta-tions placed at strategic locations loca-tions across the Uintah Basin. From 2001 to 2006, traffic on major roads and highways in Duchesne and Uintah counties increased by an average of 5,000 additional vehicles per day - from an annual daily traffic average of 82,168 vehiclesin2001to87,137 vehicles in 2006. The following are among the findings discovered from analyzing analyz-ing data produced by the automated auto-mated traffic recorder stations: On average, 100 more vehicles ve-hicles daily drove the Duchesne County portion of state Road 191 through Indian Canyon in 2006, as compared to 200 1. Traffic on U.S. 40 from Vernal to Jensen increased from 1,780 daily vehicles to 2,180 daily vehicles during that same time period. Also during the same time period, traffic on U.S. 40 from Fruitland to Vernal increased from an average of 39,490 vehicles ve-hicles daily to 47,260 vehicles daily. UHP Trooper Rex Olsen said that while traffic growth has been steady and consistent, fatalities have continued to come and go in spurts. "We'll see a bunch of fatalities fatali-ties for awhile, but then things always level off," he said. "I wouldn't dare say that fatalities have increased over the past five years. We've got to give credit to all the law enforcement officers i home with i hcilnxmis, I .V-) hall), large kikiicn wiiii uimim(! rimm, omi lamiiy nxim, newer carpet, new lv pnmii-il I Imue is im .40 of an aerc Int. Prueil In sell lit I M, VI X I. Seller is nllerinn aeni-rims alliiwnnee, Call Natalie fur ilelails. OwncrA!ent. Rivers By Mary Bernard Uintah Basin News Service U.S. Forest Service officials met with the public Thursday in Vernal to discuss a draft environmental envi-ronmental impact statement for Wild and Scenic Rivers designations designa-tions on the Ashley National Forest. "The next phase of suitability will address the socioeconomic impact of designating a river- either ei-ther wild, scenic or recreational - under the act," said Kenton Call, information officer with Dixie National Forest. "Out of 86 potentially suitable Utah rivers, riv-ers, a handful of river segments may be suitable on the Ashley National Forest." Call, a member of the U.S. Forest Service team working on the river plan, was in Vernal to explain the Wild and Scenic FATAL CRASHES IN UINTAH BASIN 2007 (by county) Duchesne 5 Uintah 8 Daggett 0 2006 Duchesne 6 Uintah..... 7 Daggett 0 2005 Duchesne 8 Uintah 4 Daggett 0 2004 .. Duchesne 4 Uintah 7 Daggett 0 Source: Utah Department of Transportation and people involved with public safety who are out there. "We would have been seeing a lot more of an increase in fatalities fatali-ties if we didn't all stick together and perform properly," Olsen added. Overall, across Utah, there were 24 percent fewer highway fatalities in 2007 than there were in 2000, according to the UDOT-DPS UDOT-DPS report. Chugg said there are multiple reasons that fatalities on Utah roads and highways might be decreasing. SEE TRAFFIC DEATHS on A2 OSEC plans to reopen White River Mine By Maby Berkaro Express Writer Researchers at the White River oil shale mine are into phase two of their research and development lease. With some activities slated to begin at the site later this year, Oil Shale Exploration Company plans to produce as much as 250 barrels per hour by the end of phase two, which will last several years. Amy Hansen, public affairs officer with the OSEC, spoke before a joint session of city and county officials on Friday, Jan. 25 at the Vernal City building. "OSEC will re-open the White River Mine to process oil shale in southern Uintah County," Hansen announced. "I know there has been some skepticism that this day would never really 7 i plan draws public input Rivers Act draft environmental impact im-pact statement and accept public comment. com-ment. "The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will preserve the nation's free-flowing waterways," water-ways," Call said. "Enacted in 1968, it was intended to curtail dam construction, which was rife at the time." The Forest Service has spent years inventorying eligible river segments throughout Utah's forests. for-ests. Segments deemed eligible for possible designation "possess "pos-sess outstandingly remarkable ecological, cultural, biological, geological or other values that Kl; FLAGS LOWERED TO MOURN PASSING OF LDS PRESIDENT By order of Gov. Jon Huntsman flags across Utah will be hung at half-mast in mourning of the passing pass-ing of Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who died Sunday at age 97. Flags are expected to remain in half-mast recognition until the church president's interment Monday. The grandson of Mormon pioneers, Hinckley took over the presidency in 1995 nearly 13 years ago. It is said that under his direction the Mormon church experienced the greatest expansion in its history growing from 9 to 13 million in membership. happen. But, methodically' and slowly, we are moving in on our commitment to make this a reality." real-ity." "OSEC signed a lease with the BLM in July to re-open the old mine and begin extracting fresh shale," Hansen said. "Since the phase one R&D, OSEC has removed part of the 25-year-old stockpiled shale from the mine surface and sent it to Calgary, Canada, for testing resource quality." White River's oil shale operation opera-tion ended decades ago after the energy market collapsed and extraction technology lagged. Not so today, explains Hansen. "Today, modern oil shale technology is processing volumes of oil across the globe," she said. "Our Canadian shale oil retort test indicated highly positive IniniHculalc well cared fur i bedroom iw. . y brick home in great nriihlborhool. New kitchen, 2 family roomi, beautiful wood Aimihi, and cover palio off the hack. Thin I a must nee!!!!. Please nil): l-8IH..-67(lft Kit. 5(1X2 Wild and wtia Rum will JeSmdKt, Hue, land of math ttHdewdtum, legacy Huxtuit am gmg tr leaifc fot owi cmmi&i and cowifcf. " Km EUutt, Aiily NaUaud fimtiufmUM deserve protection," said Call. Forest Service officials took the list of eligible segments, classified them under one of the three major categories and is now evaluating their suitability. Suitability, Call explained, "is assessed on the basis of threats to the drainage, existing uses, economic impacts of management, manage-ment, support from the local community and so on." "There are 160 rivers across results. The quality of the old shale we provided is projected to return 30 gallons of oil per ton of rock. And at $30 a barrel in extraction costs." "Phase two of the process will mean re-opening the mine structure struc-ture itself," Hansen continued. "We are submitting a detailed re-operation plan to the BLM with an anticipated opening date in April. Right now, we are working with the Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate the accumulated water in the mine." The abandoned White River Mine is an extensive passage, extending some 1,200 feet subsurface sub-surface and opening 30 feet in diameter. The current lease is a 10-year authorization for OSEC to develop oil shale resources on-site. The EPA and OSEC are 2 halh all . . .. the country designated as part of the system," he said. "Nationwide, the system manages 5,35 1 miles of wild segments, seg-ments, 2,457 of scenic segments and 3,195 of recreational segments. Utah and Nevada have no designated desig-nated river segments." Utah and Nevada, two of driest Western states, are neighbored neigh-bored by Idaho with six designated desig-nated river segments, Colorado with one and New Mexico with four. Despite efforts to get rivers classified within the state, proposals pro-posals made under the Wild and ScenicRi vers Act face opposition SEE SCENIC RIVERS on A3 f V . . .1 W? 0 -1 I A if i ' i A- n I 1 J i - i - i also consulting in the effort to evaluate gas emissions associated with processing the retort. "Depending on test of fresh shale removed from the mine in phase two, OSEC will expand operations op-erations for commercial production," produc-tion," said Hansen. "Right now, moving the potential product is an issue. Refinement has shown that there is too much nitrogen in the oil to pipe it. OSEC may build a hydro-treater on-site to help in piping. Otherwise, there has been talk of paving the Seep Ridge Road to transport processed materials. We could develop as much as 250 tons per hour processing plant like the one in Calgary, so moving the resource is essential." 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