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Show t A l7' . '-.'". !"' ' '' r u, ' " V . ' Jk." , .' . ; " ....... ft" 'i . 1 . --r..;., . . .7'-?A U . i ifA rrif - -?- V f i -' . . ftfe W )i;V,.. :. !, rV'v';P?M---V;;---'--dpj 4C . . ;'; :: !v -''.'' :.- . , . ; .' v - . . . ; v v 1 : f ' ," i -- : .; ', !-- -- .: . . , '' " - " .. , ; ' ' ' ! ' ' ', '' : ;' " . . -. Y :'' -r '.,''''''" '.. ' V 'VXv-7 '; " ; V ' ' Little did the dinosaurs know they would end up in Utah and then be disturbed and hauled away to feed the hungry vehicles of the modern world. Tankers fill with crude oil near "The Blues" on L'tah Highway High-way 12. Tanker Trucks9 Diesel Smoke Sweet Sight to Garfield County Economy After several years of the heavy vehicles traveling on the potentially dangerous narrow gravel road near the wells, a decision was made to move the crude pick-up site to an on-highway on-highway site five miles east of the "Blues," a series of sharp and steep turns 12 miles west of Escalante on Utah Highway 12. Following a period of several more years, however; those sharp turns had taken a toll of eight rigs. Fortunately, no death occured, but the company had sustained more than $500,000 in loses with several injuries that took place when dirvers lost control of the heavy haulers. Another decision was then made to cut the company's losses by again moving the pick-up site, this time to a spot three miles west of the "Blues," and the accidents ended. Foster says he doesn't miss the long, cold nights nor the hot summer days working over the downed rigs, but he remembers with a friendly pang the new drivers' exuberance over having a steady, well paying job and the long talks over a hot cup of coffee. Several years ago, a federal judge in Colo, ruled that an Ariz, refinery would be allowed to carry the bulk of this field's crude out of Utah into an Ariz, refinery at Fredonia. Later, the Ariz, company was taken over by the federal government for nonpayment non-payment of taxes. Currently all crude being taken from the wells is being refined in Utah. The noise of the rumbling, groaning smoking trucks is music to the ears of southern Utahns living in this financially depressed area, because those tracks bring welcome tax dollars. George Middleton, Garfield County commission chairman, says that all taxes generated at the Tenneco site and at adjacent well heads go to the Garfield County School District. ESCALANTE Rumbling and groaning, the oversize crude oil tankers ply their way back and forth through the western half of Garfield County. Loading 25 tons of crude oil at the Tenneco site southwest of Escalante, the 25-ton rigs travel 300 miles to Woods Cross refineries near Salt Lake City, making the run the longest crude oil trucking operation " in the world. Until the past five years, over 100 runs had been made each day for nine years. Over 850,000 gallons of crude passed over Utah Highway 12 and U.S. 89 each day. Every year more than 310 million gallons moved over the two highways. In the nine years that Al Foster was transport superintendent of the southern Utah portion of the run with headquarters on the East Fork section over 2,790 billion gallons of crude found its way to the refineries. In remembering those days Foster recalls many sleepless nights in all kinds of weather, repairing and laboring over rigs that had broken down, even making the long runs himself when drivers had problems . that kept them from making the run. Foster explained that because of problems related to keeping the trucks running 24 hours a day, three shifts at eight hours a shift, he went through-an"average of over 300 drivers per year. The demands of driving were hard on the men and their families. Foster said he used drivers with a minimum age of 26 and with at least two years driving experience. He sent them out with experienced drivers as students until they could "boss" a truck. He said drivers usually stayed only four to four and one-half months before succumbing to the rigors of the job. At first the truck and trailer rigs pulled the crude from the original Tenneco complex where the oil is pumped. All excess moisture was extracted from the crude oil before it was hauled to Woods Cross. .1 ' 9 1 . x J! U ; '-'-J -t. i "- f ' 5 '" '' ( i . .', - . if -i.'tu H'. . -: jj v ' ; :-- "' - :p': .:' i --i i ii i - - -- "- ' Approximately four-hour power outage while Garkane Power Association workers Installed new transformers north of Tropic was a small price r consumer-members had to pay for upgrading of system. Better service is expect' d from change, which will be noted in this area. |