UPDATES

• All federal leasing for oil shale development in Utah and Colorado have expired or have been relinquished.
• Activities for tar sand and oil shale development in Utah have ceased.

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Like tar sands, oil shale is one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet. Its mining, processing and tailings threaten to industrialize vast swaths of land, pollute air and water, harm wildlife, and emit carbon at rates far exceeding conventional oil development.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that between 353 billion and 1.146 trillion barrels of oil in the Green River Formation oil shale deposits have a high potential for development, which is 2 to 7 times as much as Alberta's 170 billion barrels targeted by the Keystone XL pipeline.

To date, industry has'nt been able to economically turn oil shale into fuel. But they're trying.

Red Leaf Resources is gearing up to test new oil shale technology near the Book Cliffs in of the Colorado River Basins' most wild areas. They plan to strip mine shale deposits into a 160-foot deep capsule, line it with clay, and then backfill, bury and bake shale in it for months to extract kerogen that will be refined into diesel fuel.

If it works, the process could spur runaway development. The consequences for land, wildlife, water and efforts to curb climate change, would be overwhelming.

NEW INFORMATION ABOUT TOMCO

TomCo is a British company that will use Red Leaf Resources experimental technologyto retort oil shale (hard rock kerogen)

• Click here to read this story by Brian Maffly of the Salt Lake Tribune
• TomCo's Small Mining Permit Application

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HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Click here to read a sample letter to the Department of Water Quality about proposed strip mining operations by Red Leaf Resources in the Uinta Basin.

• Experimental Capsule Description (Earth Ovens)
• Water Discharge Permit
• Comments for Draft Red Leaf Ground Water Permit. WRA et al.

• 2013 - Executive Summary: Tar Sands Oil Shale Market Assessment. U of U.
• 2013 - Oil Shale Market Assessment. U of U.

STATE LAND INVENTORY FOR OIL SHALE IN UTAH

• 93,000 State Trust acres are leased for oil shale
• A typical lease lasts 10-years
• Not all land can be surface mined (some requires underground mining)

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD: Red Leaf Resources

• Living Rivers v Red Leaf Resources
• Final Memo in Opposition Motion in Limine
• Final MSJ Response
• Final Response to DOGM's Pre-Hearing Brief
• Final Response to DOGM's Reply
• DOGM Pre-Hearing Brief
• RED LEAF'S PRE-HEARING BRIEF
• RLR PRE-HEARING REPLY BRIEF
• RLR'S MEMO IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY DECISION
• RLR'S MEMO IN SUPPORT OF MOTION IN LIMINE
• RLR'S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY DECISION
• RLR'S MOTION IN LIMINE
• DEQ comments Red Leaf 2012 Feb
• DOGM Red Leaf Hearing Notice Feb 2012
• DWR comments Red Leaf 2012 Feb
• LivingRivers RAA Red Leaf
• Red Leaf Informal Hearing Transcript 2012 March
• Red Leaf NOI protest

• Draft Permit
• Draft Statement of Basis
• Ground Water Discharge Permit Application June 2013
• SOB Figure 1 Site Location Map
• SOB Figure 2 EPS Site Plan
• SOB Figure 3 Generalized Strat Column Green River Formation
• SOB Figure 4 EPS Capsule Roof Floor and Wall Details
• Supplemental Seep and Spring Inventory May 2013 (large file)

• UDOGM permit files (complete)(Username and Password: ogmguest)
• UDOGM Board Notes and Dockets

Red Leaf Resources Inc. (oil shale mining permits)

• Red Leaf Resources @ Southwest #1
• Red Leaf Resources @ Southwest #1b
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #1
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #3
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #4
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #6
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #7
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #8
• Red Leaf Resources @ Site #9

OIL SHALE STRIP MINING @ INDIAN RIDGE

• Notice of Intent (NOI) to Commence Large Mining Operations. Red Leaf Resources.
• November 2011 - Red Leaf NOI Protest. Living Rivers and Western Resource Advocates.
• February 2012 - Notice of informal hearing for Red Leaf Resources.
• February 2012 transcript of Red Leaf hearing.
• March 2012 - Living Rivers request for agency action

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

• BLM EA on paving of Seep Ridge Road in Uintah County

BLM's Oil Shale & Tar Sands Programmatic EIS

• Home Page
• Federal Notice
• Environmental Impact Statement
• Record of Decision
• Additional Information
• Tar Sands: Basic Information
• Oil Shale: Basic Information
• Endangered Species List
• Comments of California Attorney General

CORPORATE WEBSITES

• NEW: Company Profiles
• National Oil Shale Association
• AuraSource (China)
• Nevtah
• Earth Energy Resources
• Enshale & Bullion Monarch Mining
• Enefit
• Oil Shale Exploration Company (Now Enefit)
• Red Leaf Resources
• Red Leaf Presentation
• Video about Red Leaf. EcoFLight.
• Red Leaf oil shale update
• Shell Mahogany Research Project
• Temple Mountain Energy
• TomCo Energy
• National Oil Shale Association

DOCUMENTS

• Oil shale library. Headwaters Institute.
• Oil Shale Politics in Utah: Holding Government Officials, Lobbyists, and Corporate Management Accountable to the Public
• 2014 - Oil Shale Climate Nexus Letter from Rep. Polis to Council on Enviromental Quality.
• 2012 - Energy Water Nexus for Utah
• 2011 - Testimony of Bill Eikenberry (PIONEERS Act)
• 2010- Oil Shale in the West: 14 Unanswered Questions. Headwater Economics.
• 2010 - CERES Report on Oil Shale/Water Nexus.
• 2010 - Oil shale update. National Oil Shale Association.
• 2010 - Energy-Water Nexus: Better Understanding of Water Resources. GAO.
• 2008 - Oil Shale Report. Congressional Research Service.
• 2008 - Water Rights and Oil Shale. Congressional Research Service.
• 1974 - Oil Shale Development. League of Women Voters.
• 1967 - 4th symposium on oil shale. Colorado School of Mines.

ECONOMIC VIABILITY

• 2013 - Executive Summary: Tar Sands Oil Shale Market Assessment. U of U.
• 2013 - Oil Shale Market Assessment. U of U.
• 2011 - Economic Impact of Marcellus Shale Gas. Cornell.
• 2011 - Marcellus Shale: What Are The Limitations? Cornell.
• 2010 - Oil Shale: 14 Unanswered Questions. Headwater Economics.
• 2008 - North American Oil Sands History Development Prospects. Congressional Research Service.
• 2008 - Developments In Oil Shale. Congressional Research Service.
• 2007 - Testimonies Oil Shale. RAND.
• 2006 - Oil Shale History Incentives Policy. Congressional Research Service
• 2005 - Oil Shale Development USA. RAND.

ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES

• Critical Habitat Designation. USFWS.
• Mexican-spotted owl
• Greater sage grouse
• Graham's Penstemon (Photo) (Recent news) (Aid to identify)
• Screen of endangered species at Red Leaf Resources
• Map 01 & Map 02: endangered species @ Red Leaf Resources
• Critical Habitat Map. The Wilderness Society.

EPA - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

• NSPS Subpart Ja
• 2010 - Fact sheet on ozone standards

GEOLOGY

• Oil Shale and Tar Sands web page. Utah Geologic Survey.
• Tar Sands Bibliography (2009). UGS.
• USGS publications library
• 2008 - Oil shale and tar sands Programmatic EIS. BLM.
• 2008 - Holocene Debris Flows on the Colorado Plateau. Webb.
• 2007 - Analysis of Utah Tar Sands. UGS.
• 1992 - Hydrocarbons along proposed Book Cliffs Highway. UGS.
• 1975 - Mineral Resources of Uintah Ouray Reservation. USGS.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

• Uinta Basin Geology

• Comments on Air Quality from Oil and Gas Development in Dixie Nat. Forest
• 2010 - Montana Environmental Information Center v BLM
• 2010 - Mexican spotted owl critical habitat decision
• 2010 - History of Mexican spotted owl appeal

MAPS & GIS

• BLM PEIS: Tri-state  deposits
• Uinta Basin
• Green River Refinery (proposed) (click here)

SITLA

• Oil shale resource ownership
• Parcels in Grand County (14.9%; about 550 sq. miles)

University of Utah

• Interactive Map

PHOTOS

• Book Cliffs Divide Road Grand County; Reduced
• East Canyon Grand County Approach; Reduced
  
• Red Leaf Resources @ Indian Ridge, June 2010

NEWS

• 6/15/10 - Wildflower vs. Oil Shale. Salt Lake Weekly.
• 11/30/10 - GAO: More research needed on oil shale, water
  
• 9/17/2007 - Tar sands, oil shale. Energy Bulletin.
• 3/24/10 - Decision on wildflower protection expected soon. Assoc. Press.
• 3/29/10 - Sage Grouse will play role in Western energy development.Marten Law.
• 4/29/10 - Salazar aide - Oil shale not ready for prime time

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

• Document archive. Western Resource Advocates.
• Oil Shale Facts
• Fossil Foolishness. Western Resource Advocates
• Northern Rockies Rising Tide
• CERES Report on Oil Shale/Water Nexus.
• Tar Sands: Feling the climate crisis. FOE Europe.
• Dirty Oil. Greenpeace.
• 2011  - Between a Rock and a Dry Place: The Impact of Oil Shale Development  and Climate Change on the Colorado River Basin Water Supply. NRDC

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

• White Paper. Utah Mining Association.

UNIVERSITY

• 2009 - Oil Shale Report. University of Colorado at   Boulder.
• University of Utah ICSE Digital Repository

USGS

• Oil shale and tar sands interactive web page (excellent resource)
• 1995 - Surface disturbances and the role of accelerating erosion. Belnap.

UTAH GOVERNMENT

• Home page: Utah Oil, Gas & Mining
• Public records: Utah Oil, Gas  & Mining. (Username and password is ogmguest)
• FTP Site.  Utah Oil Gas & Mining
• PR Springs water right 01 and 02. Utah Division of Water Rights.
• 1980 - An Assessment of Oil Shale and Tar San Development
• 2009 - Bibliography of tar sand deposits & map. Utah Geological Survey.
• 2009 - Approval of PR Springs strip mine for tar sand. UDOGM.
  2010 - Notice regarding PR Springs Mine to Grand County Council. UDOGM.
• 2012 - Energy Water Nexus for Utah

VIDEO

• Fossil Foolishness. Western Resource Advocates.
• Red Leaf Resources. EcoFLight.

Southest Utah (includes East Tavaputs Plateau)

• Amphibian Inventory. DWR.
• Avian Inventory. DWR.
• Bison Reintroduction. DWR.
• Black Bears. DWR
• Ecosystem Evaluation. DWR.
• Mammal Inventory. DWR.
• Reptile Inventory. DWR.