This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Land Management has announced a series of hearings aimed at defining the scope of a broad environmental study it plans to do on the development of oil shale and tar sands in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. It is projected that there could be the equivalent of 1 trillion barrels of oil trapped in the rock in the three-state area. In the Energy Policy Act signed by President Bush in August, Congress directed the bureau to expedite a study on the environmental impact of developing the resource. Congress gave the BLM 18 months to complete the study and six months to develop a leasing program. The BLM announced a series of seven hearings over 10 days, including hearings in Salt Lake City on Jan. 10; Price on Jan. 11; and Vernal on Jan. 12. Two hearings each will also be held in Wyoming and Colorado and public comments can be sent directly to the BLM, as well.
