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Show Vernal Express Wednesday, June 25, 2008 A7 OSEC says it's ready to meet Bush's call for development ByPaiilFoy Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) President Bush's call on Wednesday for speedingup development devel-opment of oil shale in the Rocky Mountains runs headlong into Colorado and Wyoming leaders, who say the environmental costs are too high and the technology unproven. "The reality about oil shale, it's hydrocarbons locked up in rock and it is very difficult to extract," Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colorado, D-Colorado, said Wednesday. But in Utah, a developer says his company already has the technology tech-nology to produce 4,000 barrels a day using a furnace that can heat up rock using its own fuel. "This is not a science project," said Daniel G. Elcan, managing director of Oil Shale Exploration Explora-tion Corp., an industry player in demonstration efforts. Bush, in an energy speech from the Rose Garden, called for lifting restrictions on oil shale leasing in the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. He also called for Congress to lift a drillingban on parts of the U.S. continental shelf. "For many years, the high cost of extracting oil from shale exceeded the benefit. But today the calculus is changing," Bush said. "Companies have invested in technology to make oil shale production more affordable and efficient. And while the cost of extracting oil from shale is still more than the cost of traditional production, it is also less than the current market price of oil. This makes oil shale a highly promising promis-ing resource," he said. Bush said Democrats in Congress Con-gress "slipped" a moratorium on larger oil shale works into a spending bill last year. The provision, which will expire in October unless Congress renews it, stopped the government from authorizing a commercial leasing program. "It is absurd to claim my amendment was just 'inserted' into an appropriations bill or that it is the main obstacle to oil shale development," Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colorado, said in a statement. "The obstacles are the same ones that have been there for a century - the lack of technology for developing oil shale in an economically realistic way," he said. Wyoming Gov. Dave Freu-denthal, Freu-denthal, a Democrat, also was skeptical. "The Bush administration has pushed for oil shale since the beginning, even though the private sector has said since the beginning, 'Now just a minute, we're a long way from being ready,;" Freudenthal said. "What they should be doing is pushing funding for the devel-' opment of the technology. And these questions about leasing can follow the development of technology, instead of 'Let'slease first while we've got a political climate.'" Oil shale enjoyed a fleeting promise during the 1970s when oil prices skyrocketed, but was abandoned by the early 1980s when prices dropped and Exxon shut down major operations in western Colorado. "We must not sacrifice Colorado Colo-rado in a knee-jerk reaction to decades of failed energy policy," Gov. Bill Ritter said in a statement. state-ment. "No one - not even the companies working on oil shale development - can tell us with any certainty how much energy it will take to develop this resource, re-source, where that energy would come from, what the impacts on Colorado's water supplies or quality would be, and what housing, transportation and other infrastructure needs will be," he said. In Utah, Elcan said OSEC is ready to go, and that the whole industry was being held back by Congress. Companies need certainty cer-tainty on whether and how they will be allowed to work larger tracts of federal land, he said. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the country has to do everything ev-erything it can to boost energy production. "We have as much oil in oil shale in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado as the rest of the world combined," he said. Shell Exploration & Production Produc-tion Co. is working on its own lands in western Colorado but has permission to work three 160-acre parcels of federal land on an experimental basis. It wants the federal government to Utah Blue Stakes gets $100,000 grant Philip Powlick, director of the state Division of Public Utilities, Utili-ties, announced Friday that a $100,000 federal grant from the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has been awarded to Utah to help the state with its damage prevention program starting this summer. The grant will be presented to Blue Stakes of Utah, a non-profit organization that facilitates locating lo-cating of underground utilities before excavations. Blue Stakes will use the money to improve its damage prevention to the level of the federal requirements according ac-cording to the 2006 Pipe Act. This is the second grant that DPU's Pipeline Safety Group has secured for Utah this year. An earlier "One Call" grant earmarked ear-marked $40,000 in fundingwhich was passed on to Blue Stakes of . Utah. "This grant will benefit all of Utah, from Logan to St. George, by protecting the public from underground accidents," Powlick said in a press release. "Our thanks to the Division of Public Utilities for its support," said Blue Stakes Executive Director Direc-tor Gary Hansen. "Safety is our No. 1 concern and this funding will help our mission to promote public safety, protect underground under-ground facilities, and minimize service interruptions." ANF reopens campgrounds The Ashley National Forest has reopened roads and campgrounds camp-grounds previously left closed to allow for road repair and snow melt. The Red Cloud Loop is among those recently reopened, as well as all developed campgrounds on Vernal Ranger District. "Even after opening the Red Cloud Loop, many side roads will still be impassable due to snow drifts," said Omero Torres, recreation staff officer for the Vernal Ranger District. Additionallythecampgrounds were scheduled to have water available by Friday. Forest officials are encouraging encourag-ing visitors to call their office with any questions about travel or camping in specific areas as they plan their trips. Visitors are also reminded that as the temperatures tempera-tures warm, they should have adequate water both for drinking and to extinguish campfires. mmm" Quality care with a personal touch. Dr. G.P. Massartd has been serving up dinner for as long as he can remember. He enjoys experimenting with different spices and condiments and making his dishes original. He especially loves to create new seafood dishes. Since coming to Vernal, he has enjoyed spending his free time cooking and viewing the beautiful scenery. Dr. Massand came to Vernal in October from Massachusetts. "My son lives on the Wasatch front with his wife and our only grandchild, so moving closer to this area was important to my wife and me. And now, we have another grandchild coming in July, so we are very happy to be so close." Dr. Massand also likes working at Ashley Regional Medical Center. "The hospital is great, the people I work with are wonderful. I appreciate working with the other orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Burk Young. We have a great relationship and work well together." Ashley Regional offers a full range of orthopedic procedures, arthroscopy, total knee replacement and hip replacements, fracture care and sports medicine. "The hospital is great, the people I work with are wonderful" i Ashley Regional MEDICAL CENTER 7 J i . f. set a fir m date when development of larger and more productive oil shale fields will be allowed. Shell says it needs the certainty to pace its capital and research investments. "Oil prices do not drive the pace of our research and development. develop-ment. Instead, Shell continues a cautious, steady approach," said Darci Sinclair, a Shell Oil Co. spokesman in Houston. "While we are interested in reaching commercial development develop-ment as soon as feasible, it must be done in a way that is economically economi-cally viable, environmentally responsible and socially sustainable," sustain-able," she said. Shell is working to melt oil out of rock by heating up the ground using oven-like elements. The company says it's about two years away from proving it can accomplish this without polluting pollut-ing groundwater. Environmental groups have been watching Shell's experiment experi-ment with interest, but they doubt oil shale will solve anything. any-thing. "Today's high gasoline prices are the result of a host of economic eco-nomic conditions that have little to do with how much drilling is or is not taking place on federal lands," said David Alberswerth, an energy policy adviser for the Wilderness Society. He said the weak dollar, market speculation and demand in China and India are making oil more expensive. AP writer Mead Gruver in Cheyenne contributed to this A'" T S 1 Oil Shale Exploration Co. consultant Gary Aho leads a tour of the company's White River facility during a June 2006 visit to Uintah County by federal, state and local leaders. OSEC officials said last week that they are ready to meet President Bush's mandate to develop oil shale to help reduce the national energy crisis. J -. :, v -. ur4:j realty inc. New Maeser Listing 4 bedroom, 2 bath, newly remodeled. Almost .50 acre lot. Just listed at $187,000. Fixer Upper in Vernal!! 4 bedroom, 2 bath, garage, large lot, new windows. Reduced to $175,000 New Duplex Listing 3 bedroom, 1 bath (Each Side). Great location. $215,000 Priced to sell quick. "Expect the Best" Kyle Ashworth 435-790-2544 www.kyIeashworth.com 1340 West Highway 40, Vernal, UT 84078 Office: (435)789-7555 Fax: 781-2913 I arm m mi mmi . . - - :1 Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 625 626 627 628 629 Tns"J "w Ijio "iAV"" 9358 9155 9256 9561 9460 Plenty of sun. Highs Plenty of sun Highs Mainly sunny. Highs Mostly sunny Highs Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 90s and in the low 90s and in the low 90s and in the mid 90s and in the mid 90s and lows in the upper lows in the mid 50s. lows in the mid SOs. lows in the low 60s. lows in the low 60s 50s. Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset 5 49 AM 8 50 PM 5 60 AM 8 50 PM 5 50 AM 6 50 PM 5 50 AM 8 50 PM 5 51 AM 8 SO PM I gxffiFiffitt Wt' Celebrate Hometown IJfc k A's' -Y Jl toliei 'or anc' t01'1 hometowns just like, yours. Look for lis each week in thu. Utah At A Glance Moon Phases Logan 9158 i,,,,. L Oaden 1.. 9365 ) Salt L ake Citv O 9666 Provo 9262 Vernal 9358 IS Cedar City 9056 Area Cities Full Last Jun 18 Jun 26 New First Jul 3 Jul 10 UV Index Wed 625 o very High Thu 626 hi Very High Fri 627 io Very High Sat 628 10 Very High Sun 629 10 Very High The UV Index IB measured on a 0-1 nuintr seals, with a higher UV liulex showing the need (01 cjio.it.'t skin protection pro-tection O '111 Hlandlng. Briflham City Cedar City Dnlta Elko. NV Evonslon, WY Farmlngton, NM Fillmore Flagstaff. 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