Protecting Utah's special places, promoting energy efficiency and conservation and permitting responsible and environmentally sound energy exploration and development are all possible. Unfortunately, the state's recently announced intent to "promote extractive energy development" and to make "Utah a better, business friendly place," with no mention of the accompanying environmental cost, lacks balance and vision.
It also glosses over the plain fact that oil and gas development in Utah is already proceeding at a record-setting pace.
Last Sunday's Tribune reported that the state of Utah's Energy Office - now under the direct control of Gov. Jon Huntsman - will be told to "ensure that Utah is more hospitable to oil and gas development, particularly in the Uinta Basin."
According to rural affairs coordinator Gayle McKeachnie, "[e]nergy developers believe it is easier to get oil and gas exploration permit applications" through the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in other Western states than Utah, and this accounts for Utah's reputation as 'not being friendly to business.'"
A quick review of the state's own records contradicts the argument that oil companies are hampered by a hostile business environment. In truth, these companies are getting the royal treatment by both the BLM and the state of Utah's Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (UDOGM), the two agencies that together oversee oil and gas leasing and development in Utah.
In 2004, UDOGM approved a near-record number of applications for permit to drill oil and gas wells - 1,102.
l Between January 2000 and March 2005, UDOGM approved 4,419 drilling permits. To date, oil and gas companies have only drilled 2,873 wells - leaving a 1,546 surplus of approved permits that have not been acted on.
l At the end of fiscal year 2003, while industry held more than 4 million acres of oil and gas leases on BLM lands in Utah, less than 1 million acres of those leased lands were actually in production.
There are similar surpluses of drill permits and unproductive leased lands across the West. In fact, in a recent USA Today article (Feb. 20, 2005), an industry official acknowledged that it is a shortage of drilling rigs, and not permit approvals, that is causing delays across the West.
Is industry being denied access to the Uinta Basin? The facts just don't support that argument. In 2004, the number of drill permits approved in the Uinta Basin (Duchense and Uinta counties) accounted for just over 91 percent of the total number of permits approved statewide (1006 permits were issued), and by year's end oil companies had not drilled 401 of these approved permits.
Thus, regardless if the BLM is not processing new drill permits as fast as some would like, there is already a surplus of approved, but not acted upon, permits.
What about new oil and gas development outside of the Uinta Basin? Is there a more thorough review process for a wildcat oil company to drill a speculative well on Utah's world-famous canyonlands? If so, we think that's OK.
Utah's spectacular redrock country, which visitors come from around the world to marvel at and enjoy, is worth the time it takes for the BLM to do its job - analyze the necessary information and seek public input before approving development that will leave scars lasting for decades, if not centuries.
We urge Gov. Huntsman to direct the Energy Office to ensure that Utah's natural heritage of wide-open spaces remains intact for future generations and to invite all parties (including conservation interests) to participate in advising the Energy Office on this important task.
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Stephen Bloch is a staff attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and focuses on public land energy issues.
