Posted on 09/16/2003 7:38:18 AM PDT by BOBTHENAILER
U.S. District Court Judge Paul G. Cassell ruled last month in favor of the Bureau of Land Management in the matter of Veritas DGC Land Inc's 2-D geophysical exploration project in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah. The ruling affirmed BLM on all counts brought before the court, the agency said.
In his decision, according to the BLM's Utah State Office, Judge Cassell wrote, "The Environmental Analysis and its suggested mitigation methods show that the BLM gave adequate consideration to the environmental effects, both in terms of direct recovery time and residual effects of the project."
In October 2002, after nearly 13 months of review and environmental analysis, the BLM authorized Veritas to conduct geophysical exploration in an area of the Uinta Basin about 30 miles south of Vernal. Subsequently, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance filed suit in federal district court, including a request for a preliminary injunction to block the project. After the court set aside the request for an injunction, the company began work. In March 2003, Veritas suspended work, having completed 11 of the 17 seismic lines, or approximately 65 percent of the project that was originally proposed. The company has until October 2004 resume work under the terms of its permit.
The court's ruling affirmed that the BLM considered a reasonable range of alternatives; fully analyzed the environmental impacts of the project, the reasonable foreseeable indirect effects, and the cumulative effects; and appropriately developed mitigation measures. Specifically the ruling upheld the agency's consideration of - and mitigation for - off-highway vehicle usage, soils, vegetation, archeological resources, wildlife and sensitive or threatened and endangered species. The court also found against the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's allegation that the decision of a Finding of No Significant Impact was "arbitrary and capricious."
Howard Cleavinger, assistant field manager for mineral resources for the BLM's Vernal Field Office, praised the efforts of both BLM resources professional staff and the seismic company's crews. "The BLM's analysis and mitigations were right on target and the company's follow-through execution has been exemplary," Cleavinger said.
According to chief compliance officer Byron Tolman, who is in charge of overall monitoring for the project, the geophysical exploration work conducted between October 2002 and March 2003 has left a "minimal" footprint on the landscape. "In many areas it's nearly impossible to trace the path followed by the seismic trucks, let alone find any discernable impacts," Tolman said. "Contrary to allegations lodged in the suit, new roads have not developed and staging areas are reclaiming nicely," Tolman added. "Impacts analyzed in the environmental document were never predicted to be significant and were negligible on the ground."
Veritas' non-exclusive 2-D geophysical survey is being carried out over a large (3,168 square miles) area of the Uinta Basin in southeastern Uintah County.
You talkin gasoline here? Or Natural Gas?
Ok then, how 'bout Work Insanely to Nix Development (WIND)
With the ultimate goal of reducing our standard of living to that of some sophisticated Euro-country, like France, where the energy supply is so good, that 15,000 of their elderly die of heat prostration, because they can't air condition their homes and apartments.
Work Indignantly to Negate Development
Thanks for your help on this worthy cause.
Of course. You're quick today.
Right on. And the tree huggers not only bottle up the supply of natural gas, they also insist that power generation be by natural gas. Well, Hells Bells does anybody wonder why our home heating bills are going through the roof?
You're both partially right. A good mix between coal and nat gas would be the best of both worlds, due to the abundant supply of both.
However, the opposition to nat gas drilling, seismic, etc., pales in comparison to that that would ERUPT should any serious efforts begin to both strip mine coal and construct coal fired plants.
Don't forget that Clinton placed our biggest and most high energy value coal deposits (anthracite) in Utah, off limits with the creation of the Escalante Wilderness area. A payoff to Indonesia's James Riaddy for campaign cash. Indonesia just happens to be our biggest importer of this high value coal, as I'm sure you both know.
Logical, ain't it. Kinda like the 9th Circuit saying the ballots which helped elect Davis are now not good enough for his recall.
That'd be great, if "development" was always a good thing, and "indignation" always bad.
By all means, keep trying. Steadfastness seems to be your strong suit.
1:10PM Crude prices fall near a four-month low by Myra P. Saefong
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Crude futures are trading at levels not seen since late May, with the October contract down 51 cents at $27.63 per barrel. The market's betting that the Energy Department and American Petroleum Institute will report a rise in crude inventories for the week ended Sept. 12. The reports are due Wednesday. October unleaded gasoline is also down 3.33 cents at 82.6 cents a gallon and October heating oil is at 73.6 cents a gallon, down 1.1 cents. October natural gas, however, is up 5 cents at $4.735 per million British thermal units.
Best of luck trying to implement the above pipe dream.
Yup, been watching it all day. I'm looking for another 10-25 cent drop by the time thursday's storage report comes out. All in all, this has been a record year for prices.
I steadfastly oppose all enviro-whackos and solar/wind advocates.
You still like my strong suit?
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