Take Action on Oil Shale

A powerful coalition of citizens, local governments and organizations working to Go Slow on oil shale has spoken up–receiving an additional 30 days to comment on the draft Programmatic EIS (plan) and generating over 60,000 comments. These comments overwhelmingly opposed the fast pace and unacceptable impacts outlined in the BLM's plan. With growing momentum and support for this campaign we must now focus energy on supporting continuation of legislation passed last year to slow the rush to lease oil shale. Allowing the BLM to continue at this reckless pace is putting the cart before the horse!

Last year, Representatives Mark Udall and John Salazar passed crucial legislation to ensure the leasing program for oil shale continues to Go Slow. This legislation prevented the use of taxpayer dollars to design a leasing program for one fiscal year. This funding moratorium prevents the hasty completion of a leasing programbefore we know what technologies will make extraction viable. The moratorium is up for renewal in Congress this spring. We must ensure the moratorium continues until West Slope communities can gauge the real impacts from a commercial industry. This is your chance to support a smart, Go Slow approach to developing our natural resources..

Please take a moment to take action below and ensure the BLM will not waste taxpayers' money until we have the facts.

Talking Points

The funding moratorium should continue until Research and Develoment is completed.
There is simply not enough water in Colorado to support this industry.
The real losers in this process will be agriculturalists and ranchers as they lose access to water.
The plan would allow oil shale development to impact some of our most sensitive areas in Colorado including wilderness, wildlife refuges, and roadless areas.
Oil Shale development will take priority over all other uses on public land.
For every oil shale in-situ facility, we would need two new coal fired power plants the size of the one in Craig, Colorado. We do not need 10 or more new coal fired power plants in western Colorado.
The number of new coal-fired power plants that would be necessary to power the oil shale industry is staggering. It is irresponsible to consider so much coal-produced energy just as Colorado is trying to become a leader on curbing global climate change.
Oil shale development would affect nearly 320,000 acres in western Colorado, with an added 50,000 acres of split estate acreage. Much of this land already feeling the strain of the natural gas boom.
The unproven new technologies for extraction (in-situ) will include 100% surface disturbance for these 5,000 acres.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

In the FY 08 Appropriations Bill, Congress approved a funding limitation withholding monies for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) implementation of commercial leasing regulations for oil shale. The funding limitation was approved because development technologies remained unproven and the viability of those technologies unknown.

In the past year little has changed. Both industry and the BLM agree that years will pass before technology is proven and the feasibility of oil shale development is known. The only notable information gained in the past year is that BLM's Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) shows the impacts of commercial oil shale development in western Colorado will likely be significant to the clean air, clean water, water supply, wildlife habitat, as well as local economies and communities. It could also have substantial global warming impacts.
 
Given what little we know about oil shale development, it only makes sense to refrain from designing and implementing a regulatory framework for this industry. To push ahead would put action before information which would be ill-conceived.
 
We need results from meaningful analysis of oil shale RD&D before we can implement an effective regulatory framework. We need to know what technologies will be used and where development will make sense economically. Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to support efforts to extend into the FY 09 Interior Appropriations Bill, the current Congressional funding limitation barring the BLM from issuing final commercial oil shale leasing regulations, or issuing commercial leases until we have more information.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

Senator Ken Salazar
Senator Wayne Allard

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