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Show Wednesday, July 30, 2008 B5 Cost of oil makes roads costlier Vernal Express SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The rising cost of oil is making road projects that require petroleum-based petroleum-based products such as asphalt more expensive. Jim McMinimee, director of project development for the Utah Department of Transportation, said that as many as 15 percent of UDOT projects might not be finished if the price of asphalt continues to rise. "We're remaining optimistic we'll be able to deliver projects," McMinimee said. "We may have delays, but we're hopeful the department will be able to pave everything this year." In Utah, 97 percent of road surfaces are asphalt-based. However, if prices continue to rise, McMinimee said UDOT might consider alternatives such as concrete. UDOT has about 120 projects this year that require asphalt or asphalt-based surfacing. The department prefers using asphalt because it is quicker for crews to lay and usually dries fast. While concrete is less expensive, building build-ing roads with it takes longer. Contributing to the high cost of asphalt is that supply is decreasing. "There is a strain on the supply sup-ply of asphalt because refineries don't want to produce it," said Jim Golding, executive vice president for Geneva Rock. "And that's compounded by a shortage short-age of polymer-modified asphalt that's needed to get UDOT's oil to specifications." Golding said the shortage has put a strain on contracting companies com-panies because asphalt suppliers can't guarantee prices beyond one month. In previous years suppliers were able to guarantee pricing for a year, Golding said. "We're working with the contracting con-tracting community and suppliers suppli-ers to get a better understanding of the situation and deal with the situation we are seeing," said Kris Peterson, director of construction and maintenance for UDOT. Steve Sandoval, a construction construc-tion supervisor for the Salt Lake County operations division, said the division may have to scale back projects in 2009 unless taxes provided from gasoline can make up for an increase. "We can see some significant increases in costs on the horizon for the 2009 paving season," Sandoval San-doval said. "One of our providers told us to expect a 62 percent increase, so we are meeting and holding discussions to see how we can handle the price increase next year." By Dina Cappieuo Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration has proposed pro-posed charging energy companies compa-nies wanting to squeeze oil out of vast shale deposits in the West lower royalties than they pay for drilling on other federal lands, including offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. In draft rules issued last Tuesday, Tues-day, the Interior Department recommended a range of royalty rates for the extraction of oil from shale on 2 million acres of public property in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. All would be less - at least for a time - than the 12.5 percent to 18.8 percent the government gov-ernment currently collects from companies producing oil on and offshore. Interior officials said the discounted rate, which would be fixed at 5 percent in one proposal, would offer an incentive for companies to develop oil shale, which can cost up to three times more to produce than traditional oil. Shale oil also contains less energy than oil, coal and wood, the Interior Department said. " For years, the cost of extract-' ing oil from shale exceeded the benefit, but today that calculus is changing," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told reporters Tuesday. "This makes oil shale a highly promising resource." The Bush administration's action comes as Congress debates expanding domestic oil production produc-tion to respond to high gasoline prices. Among the proposals being pushed are opening up more federal lands to energy production, including offshore areas currently off-limits, and forcing companies with active leases to produce on them now. Last year, however, Congress decided in a spending bill to prohibit the Interior Department from issuing final regulations for commercial development of oil shale. Kempthorne said the administration admin-istration could not wait for that prohibition to be lifted to issue proposed rules. "Any delay would discourage investment in research and development," de-velopment," he said. Oil shale is one of the largest untapped sources of energy in the U.S. An estimated 800 billion bil-lion barrels is locked up in rock in the West beneath land that is more than 70 percent publicly owned. Environmentalists, along with Colorado's Democratic governor, Bill Ritter, accused the Bush administration of rushing to develop oil shale at "bargain basement" rates, without accounting ac-counting for its various impacts. High oil and natural gas prices have already caused a black gold rush in the West, with more than 100,000 traditional oil and gas wells approved in recent years. Ritter said last week that oil shale, which would not produce oil until 2015 or 2016, would do nothing to help with high gasoline gaso-line prices. " This is a last-ditch, irresponsible irrespon-sible attempt by the White House to issue commercial oil-shale leases, at Colorado's expense," Ritter said. "These regulations would send bargain basement royalty rates that could cost Coloradans billions of dollars." Kate Zimmerman, a senior policy specialist with the Na tional Wildlife Federation, said Interior's proposal did not represent rep-resent a fair market value to the public. "It's a lowball number in terms of the potential profits these guys are going to reap from oil shale," she said. The current estimated production pro-duction cost for shale oil ranges from about $37.75 to $65.21 a barrel, according to the Interior Department, whereas conventional conven-tional onshore crude costs approximately ap-proximately $19.50 per barrel to harvest. The difference is that oil shale requires energy to bake the rock and pump the molten oil to the surface. The Interior Department offered other alternatives to a fixed 5 percent royalty, which is charged as a percentage of the cost of a barrel of oil. Other suggestions included a sliding scale based on the market price of conventional oil and gas, as well as a royalty rate that would start at 5 percent and increase to 12.5 percent, depending on the level of production. Industry representatives, who pushed for initial royalties to be lower than 12.5 percent, said that while commercial-scale produc-' tion of oil shale is a decade off or more, companies need to know what to expect before investing. invest-ing. "It is basically recognition that in the beginning there has to be a lower royalty to recognize the pioneering nature of this business," said Glenn Vawter, executive director of the National Oil Shale Association. i DttleBritches Our Ads are worth the time in the... vernal Express 54 North Vernal Avenue Vernal, Utah -435-789-3511 www.vernal.com e? Enroll your" y child today for our Fall Preschool Program. I' Openings for ages 2-6 years old H1 3 days per week from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm is SI - ir 425 South Vernal Ave. 781-0004 J X W TT f X. .rr f Thursday, August 14 8:00 p.m. Western Park Amphitheater Amphitheater seating $25 aryie fikn tfnrrinn I nrnl tnlent ingletary Sheena McDonald TICKETS bp ''Aix.-'"-' On Sale starting July 3 1 hrl Davis Jubilee 575 W Main BOARD OF EDUCATION SCHOOL VISIT SCHEDULE FOR UINTAH SCHOOL DISTRICT Jur 17, 20O8 PubhC Motto hwaby gwan thtf the July 2006 - Juw 2006 Annual ScfuXrf Vi Sdwduto ot the Lhmah County icnooi IMlrtcf , Umwn County Utah i u tatow Octotwr Octoovr 9 30 25 9 Dawa Elementary LapOtfW fcitnwtawy Uintah High School Mhhi Eivwitary Antey VUv fcductn Cti Vwnri Mddto Schoot 2 30 2 30 j X I 3 40 10 1 tO2 203 X 2 iS3 2!W4 30 2003 10400 VlC?2 ZO'330 January January Faoruary f attnjary March 1 3 Sft Mountain Youth Canter 1 30 2 40 i HA 27 Venal Junm High 1 20 2 30 3 45 10 Aihlsy Mamantary 2 15325430 24 NipsrnerMary 215325M30 10 Eagia Vie Elementary 1 20 2 30 3 30 immunization CAREAVAN BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING SCHEDULE FOR UINTAH SCHOOL DISTRICT Jun 17, 200S PjMc Nonce hereby given lht trie JuN 2007 Jim 2006 Annual Buanm Meeting Schedule of trie Uinufc County School OtBtnct Umtah County. Utah n h EM Juty (No regular meetinge. special "January July meetiros wii be caneo at January needed I January Augutt 12 February August 26 February September 9 'March September 30 "April 'October 14 Apm Oclocer 2 s ApnJ November 11 . Mey November 25 June December 9 "'June 3m no 13 27 10 24 10 3-7 14 2 11 2 ie M board meetings iB be at the Board of Educabon Otnoe at 635 West 200 South, Vernat. (Jtaft. unless otnemvise advertised. All meebngs. unless othenMsa noted or advertised, will have an fixecutive Session beginning at 6 00 p.m. and tha Busnesa Meeting oeoinnng at 7 00 p m If needed the Board of Education wis entar into Exeoubve Session after trie completion of the agenda items m the Bumibss Meeting. "Designates that the meeting wtH be heid at the Eagle Vew Elementary Library. The Busness Meeengs will begin at 7 00 p m with the sami-annual impact aid meeting beginning at 5 30 p m and Executive Session at 6 30 p.m. "The Beard ot Education wilt attend Slate and National School Board Conference Meetings in Salt lake City and San Diego. CA WorKsessiona wtfi be held at these meetings, however no business wtl be conducted "tvj:i3!es these lc urea m aa BwSmess Meetinos to budget adoption Date: August 8, 2008 Time: 1 1:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: Vernal Jr. High, 161 N. 1000 W. Vaccines for Children (VFC) Qualifications ALL children 0-18 years of age who are: Enrolled in Medicaid Enrolled in CHIP Uninsured (without insurance) Under insured (insurance policy does not cover immunizations American IndianAlaskan native Immunizations for children age 0-35 months are FREE Immunizations for ages 3-1 8 years are $5.00 if you qualify for VFC If you are insured, Car-A-Van may have the ability to bill your insurance insur-ance company. it i J Utah 0pnfn't o' Hii. IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM Sinchirj Li 1 u,i Intermountain-Healthcare Uintah School District Registration Information Students of Uintah School District can register on August 7,h and 8,h (Thursday and Friday) at the school they will attend. Parents of students new to the district must supply student's birth certificate, immunization records, name and address of previous school and Social Security number at registration. Students will not be allowed to start school without current immunizations. For more information including a complete list of current student fees, lunch prices, and school boundaries, please visit the Uintah School District web page at www.uintah.net . Schools will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on August 7"1 and 8"1. except as noted below: Ashley Elementary will register students on Aug. 7'" from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Aug. 8'" from 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Eagle View K-8 Elementary (formerly Todd Elementary and West Middle School) will register August 7 and 8th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lapoint Elementary will register students on Aug. 14,h and 15,h from 9:00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. Vernal Middle School will hold an orientation meeting for the 6"1 and 7'" Graders at a date to be announced. Please contact the school after Aug. 1 1 tb for more information. Only new students to the district are required to register and should contact school personnel after Aug. V for details. Please Note: For the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, 6'" graders will attend Vernal Middle School and 7th graders will attend the Vernal Jr. High Annex. Vernal Junior High will register on August 7th and 8th (only new students to the district). 9th graders will receive schedules on first day of school. 8th graders will receive schedules at student orientation on Wednesday, August 20,h at 6:30 p.m. Uintah High School registers on August V and 7'". Registration information will be mailed after August V. Ashley Valley Education Center will register students by appointment on Aug. 14' 15, 18th and 21". Registration for the Uintah Online program is available through Sept. 20,h at www.k12.com . School Contact Information Uintah School District was established in 1914. Currently there are 10 schools in the district in addition to Ashley Valley Education Center. Name Ashley Elementary Davis Elementary Discovery Elementary Lapoint Elementary Maeser Elementary Naples Elementary Eagle View Elementary Vernal Middle Vernal Junior High Uintah High A.V.E.C. Telephone Grades 781-3170 K-5th 781-3155 K-5th 781-3146 K-5th 247-2637 K-6th 781-3160 K-5th 781-3150 K-5th 722-2247 K-8th 781-3140 6th -7th 781-3130 8th -9th 781-3110 10th -12th Principal D. Massey J. Leyba K. Hawkins D.Atkin C. Parrish J. Anderson R. Stearmer D. ChathamA. McKea K. BundersonS. Lamb J. WildeK. OicksonS. Shipton D. Bigelow 781-3125 See below Ashley Valley Education Center houses the Specialized Preschool, Adult Education, and other district programs such as the technology specialists, special education and ESL programs. First Day of School is Monday August 25, 2008. 2003 - 2009 School Calendar August 7& 8 Thursday & Friday Registration August 18 Monday New Employee Orientation August 21 & 22 Thursday & Friday Employee Work Days August 25 Monday 1st Day of School (1st thru 12th grades) September 1 Monday Labor Day (schools closed) September 3 Wednesday 1 st Day of Kindergarten October 16 Thursday SEPSE0P Trade Day (schools closed) October 17 Friday Fall Break (schools closed) November 26,27, & 28 Wednesday - Friday Thanksgiving Break (schools closed) December 22 Monday SEPSE0P Trade Day (schools closed) December 23- January 2 Tuesday - Friday Christmas Break (schools closed) January 5 Monday School Resumes January 19 Monday Martin Luther King Day (schools closed) February 1 3 Friday Professional Development (no students) February 16 Monday Presidents' Day (schools closed) April 9 Thursday ' SEPSEOP Trade Day (schools closed) April 10 Friday Spring Break (schools closed) April 13 Monday Professional Development (no students) May 25 Monday Memorial Day (schools closed) May 29 Friday Minimum school day (12 day) for students 1 Vernal Last day of school Graduation |