Cross-posted from It’s Getting Hot In Here by Juliana Williams
[Note: Peaceful Uprising remains committed to stopping this mine. Sign up with the Action Team for more details.]
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Today, the Utah Governor’s Energy Initiative Task Force will hold a public hearing to gather input on Utah’s 10-year energy plan. This hearing comes one day after the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (DOGM) gave final approval for a tar sands mine in Eastern Utah, the first tar sands mine in the country. 
“Approving tar sands one day, then asking for public input on the state’s energy future the next is either dishonest or dysfunctional,” said Ashley Anderson, coordinator for Peaceful Uprising, a US climate action organization based in Utah.
The PR Springs mine, to be operated by Canadian-based Earth Energy Resources, would occupy 213 acres in Grand and Uintah Counties in Eastern Utah. The site is within the Colorado River watershed, which supports 30 million people across the region. Earth Energy Resources expects to produce 2,000 barrels of crude bitumen per day, 350 days per year for 7 years.
“This project has no real value or contribution to society,” said John Weisheit, Colorado Riverkeeper and Conservation Director of Living Rivers. “The total amount of oil produced by this mine over seven years of operation would cover just 7 hours of American oil demand – a tiny blip on the radar. However, it will take millennia to restore the watershed they are about to destroy.”
Tar sands, also called oil sands or heavy oil, produce one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet. On average, each barrel of tar sands oil generates three times the greenhouse gases as conventional fuel, consumes or contaminates two to four barrels of water, and exposes ground water to toxic pollutants such as arsenic, lead, mercury, nickel and cyanide. DOGM refused to consider the climate impacts of tar sands in the permitting process. Extraction of tar sands in Canada has already devastated an area the size of Florida.
Although DOGM issued tentative approval of the mine in September 2009, they failed to notify Grand County until March 2010. In response, Peaceful Uprising and Living Rivers requested a hearing with DOGM held in July to review the environmental impacts of the mine.
“No one in the government is asking whether or not tar sands development is good for Utah,” said Anderson. “Instead, DOGM is simply rubber-stamping the project while the State pretends to care about renewable energy development at these hearings.”
Despite approval from DOGM, Earth Energy Resources must still apply for one final permit from Grand County and raise up to $35 million dollars from investors before it can begin construction of the mine. This means we still have two small windows of opportunity to stop this mine, but it will definitely be an uphill struggle.
If you are from Utah, please send comments about the State’s 10-year energy vision to Ashlee Buchholze atabuchholz@utah.gov.
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It’s arduous to seek out educated individuals on this topic, but you sound like you understand what you’re speaking about! Thanks
All the people in Utah have to do is look at what is happening up in Fort Chip to see their future. Why would you jeorodize the Colorado river and pollute the majority of people’s water source. You can’t eat your money when there is nothing left around you…wake up people, protect what is inherently not yours to gamble with…
I have had the fortunate and mostly unfortunate experience of viewing the Canadian Tar Sands up close and personal. There is no question that cancer causing toxins will get into the groundwater. There is no question that this project will suck up what little remaining water there is in the Colorado River and for the whole Southwest. NO TAR SANDS IN UTAH!! Say NO TO TAR SANDS!
they main reason is why, it seem to help anything at all besides putting in jeopardy millions of people and animals water at risk. I have seen what mining does. they dont care about the surounding areas or people. Im sure this will get to the water bed if you allow this to happen. It happens almost all of the mining spots, theres not a way to stop it from happening. God Save us from your FOLLOWERS!
And if I’m not from Utah but want to comment? Who else has any regulatory control over this issue?