OIL SANDS AND THE DRAFT PEIS. Kirsten Uchitel Research Associate The Stegner Center and The Institute for Clean and Secure Energy University of Utah

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1 OIL SANDS AND THE DRAFT PEIS Kirsten Uchitel Research Associate The Stegner Center and The Institute for Clean and Secure Energy University of Utah

Oil Shale and Oil Sands PEIS The PEIS is the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Argonne Laboratory in keeping with the directives of the

2 Oil Shale and Oil Sands PEIS The PEIS is the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Argonne Laboratory in keeping with the directives of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) The PEIS was released on December 21, 2007 in draft form and is currently in the comment period Under the current schedule, the PEIS will be finalized by the end of 2008 The PEIS was completed in collaboration with fourteen cooperating agencies ( Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, US Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Department of Public Health and the Environment, State of Utah, State of Wyoming, Garfield County, CO, Mesa County, CO, Rio Blanco County, CO, Duchesne County, Utah, Uintah County, UT, City of Rifle, CO, Town of Rangely, CO) The PEIS proposes to amend twelve existing land use plans to open certain public lands for consideration for future oil shale and oil sands leasing

3 Scope of the Oil Shale and Oil Sands PEIS In EPAct Congress declared oil shale and oil sands to be strategically important domestic energy resources that should be developed to reduce the nation s growing dependence on oil from politically and economically unstable foreign sources and mandated the completion of a programmatic environmental impact statement for a commercial leasing program for oil shale and tar sands resources on public lands The PEIS was originally intended to satisfy the analysis requirements of the Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to allow the BLM both to amend existing land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and to develop a leasing planfor the commercial development of oil shale and oil sands under EPAct During the PEIS process, concerns were raised that the oil shale technologies and their impacts were too speculative to support leasing decisions on the basis of the PEIS and the decision was made to narrow the scope of the PEIS to the NEPA analysis required solely to amend land use plans to open certain public lands for the opportunity to lease oil shale and tar sands for commercial development The PEIS does not satisfy the NEPA analysis required to actually issue oil sands leases, but rather contemplates that leasing, project and site specific NEPA analysis will be completed at the time that specific lease applications are made The PEIS does not alter the applicability of existing federal, state and local laws and regulations and BLM policies to potential oil sands leasing on the public lands The PEIS did not consider the issues of greenhouse gas emissions or carbon sequestration requirements in the context of oil sands development The PEIS was not able to evaluate the impacts of the Proposed Utah Energy Corridors (under Section 38 of EPAct) on opening public lands to consideration for oil sands leasing and development

PART 2: STATE BASE MAP SERIES Proposed Section 38 Energy Corridors - UTAH - Cache SALT LA K E 44-2 39 2 1 2 2 44-1 10 1 1 442 Salt Lake 39 Tooele 11 4 e Rang C re e k S c h e ll Colorado 70 70 Carbon

Uintah and Ouray Reservation Wasatch 11-20 24 1 50 Duchesne Uinta Mountains Uinta - 209 259 Utah Juab Nevada Daggett Ashley 1 50 Wasatch-Cache Summit Timpanogos Cave Monument VERNAL FILLM ORE 2 55-

Historic Site Box Elder Caribou 84 84 G re a t Sawtooth Idaho Idaho 02-2 49 O il S h a l e & T a r S a n d D e p o sit s in U t a h Grand -2 12 Sevier Colorado Monument Colorado Arches Park 11 0114

national park Kane 11 311 39-1 13 New Mexico WA ID NV 8-1 1 Multi-modal Electric-only, Upgrade-only WY UT CO AZ NM Electric-only Underground-only CA Navajo Reservation 13 New Mexico Arizona

4 PART 2: STATE BASE MAP SERIES Proposed Section 38 Energy Corridors - UTAH - Cache SALT LA K E Salt Lake 39 Tooele 11 4 e Rang C re e k S c h e ll Colorado Carbon MOAB Uintah in Uinta Bas Uintah and Ouray Reservation Manti-Lasal Sanpete 50 Fishlake Ashley 12 Arches NP 70 Emery Millard Great Basin Park PRI C E Uintah and Ouray Reservation Wasatch Duchesne Uinta Mountains Uinta Utah Juab Nevada Daggett Ashley 1 50 Wasatch-Cache Summit Timpanogos Cave Monument VERNAL FILLM ORE Morgan Davis Salt Lake City Weber Kilometers Miles Gre a t S a l t L a k e De se rt Wyoming Wasatch-Cache Rich si n Wyoming Ba 91 D iv i d e 91 Golden Spike Historic Site Box Elder Caribou G re a t Sawtooth Idaho Idaho O il S h a l e & T a r S a n d D e p o sit s in U t a h Grand Sevier Colorado Monument Colorado Arches Park RIC H FI E LD Beaver Piute Capitol Reef Park C EDAR CIT Y C EDAR CIT Y C EDAR CIT Y Zion NP ST GEORGE MUNI OSTS002 STSAs oil shale potential wilderness/wilderness study area national monument national park Kane New Mexico WA ID NV Multi-modal Electric-only, Upgrade-only WY UT CO AZ NM Electric-only Underground-only CA Navajo Reservation 13 New Mexico Arizona Transmission Designation MT OR San Juan Arizona Manti-Lasal Garfield Bryce Canyon Park Zion Park Washington C EDAR CIT Y Glen Canyon Recreation Area Dixie MO N TIC ELLO Cedar Breaks Monument Iron Bryce Canyon NP Canyonlands Park Dixie C EDAR CIT Y Wayne Manti-Lasal San Rafael Desert Locally Designated State Owned Tribal Lands DOD Installations and Ranges Federal Ownership Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation Department of Defense Department of Energy County Boundary Kilometers Miles State Boundary International Boundary Fish and Wildlife Service Park Service Other US Service COR1

PEIS Study Area for Oil Sands The oil sands study area for the PEIS is comprised of the eleven Special Tar Sand Areas (STSAs) designated by Congress in the Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981

5 PEIS Study Area for Oil Sands The oil sands study area for the PEIS is comprised of the eleven Special Tar Sand Areas (STSAs) designated by Congress in the Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981 (CHLA) The STSAs are Argyle Canyon, Asphalt Ridge, Circle Cliffs, Hill Creek, Pariette, P.R. Spring, Raven Ridge, San Rafael Swell, Sunnyside, Tar Sand Triangle, and White Canyon Because the Grand Staircase Escalante Monument overlies the Circle Cliffs STSA, the PEIS excludes Circle Cliffs STSA from future oil sands leasing under EPAct The remaining ten STSAs constitute the oil sands planing area, consisting of approximately 1,02,2 acres of land, including 574,357 acres of public lands and 82,148 acres of split estate lands The PEIS evaluated three development alternatives for oil sands and proposes amending six land use plans to potentially open certain public lands to oil sands leasing

6 Areas Excluded From Oil Sands Leasing Under the PEIS Wilderness Areas Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) Existing Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) Monuments Conservation Areas Historic and Scenic Trails Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs) Incorporated town and city limits The Circle Cliffs STSA Park Service lands where oil sands leasing would have the potential to impair park resources

7 ST GEORGE MUNI O il S h a l e & T a r S a n d D e p o s i t s i n U t a h BLM Field Office Boundary Designated Tar Sands Areas Oil Shale Potential Wilderness/Wilderness Study Area Monument Park Idaho 91 Wyoming Source for oil shale boundaries: Rand Corp. (2005) Miles Kilometers S A L T L A K E V E R N A L Nevada F I L L M O R E P R I C E 50 Colorado M O A B Arches NP R I C H F I E L D C E D A R C I T Y C E D A R C I T Y Bryce Canyon NP C E D A R C I T Y C E D A R C I T Y Zion NP M O N T I C E L L O C E D A R C I T Y 13 California Arizona New Mexico OSTS002

combustion projects The PEIS did not analyze any particular scenario for oil sands leasing or level of oil sands development due to the

8 Oil Sands Technologies Considered in the PEIS The PEIS considered four technology combinations for oil sands extraction and processing Surface mining projects with surface retorting Surface mining projects with solvent extraction In situ steam injection projects In situ combustion projects The PEIS did not analyze any particular scenario for oil sands leasing or level of oil sands development due to the present lack of a commercially viable oil sands technology and the speculative nature of potential development scenarios (Image courtesy of Argonne Laboratory)

9 Environmental Impacts of Oil Sands Leasing Grazing and agriculture, recreation Oil and gas production and mineral extraction Soil and geologic resources Paleontological and cultural resources Water quality Air quality Noise Ecological and aquatic resources [T]he potential impacts associated with commercial tar sands development...cannot be quantified because key information about the location of commercial projects, the technologies employed, the project size or production level, and development time lines is unknown. Wildlife and listed species Visual resources Socioeconomic impacts Hazardous materials and waste management

10 Alternative A Alternative A is the no action alternative No land use plans would be amended under this alternative and no commercial oil sands leases would be issued under EPAct Alternative A includes six leases issued under the CHLA that remain in existence, four in the Pariette STSA and two in the P.R. Spring STSA Alternative A also includes pending conversion leases that are potentially developable within the Circle Cliffs STSA and other pending conversion leases within the Tar Sand Triangle and P.R. Spring STSAs The BLM anticipates that although oil sands development is possible under either the CHLA or conversion leases under Alternative A, it is highly unlikely The BLM has deemed Alternative A incompatible with EPAct

Alternative B Alternative B is the BLM s Preferred Alternative Alternative B proposes designating 431,224 acres available for consideration for oil sands leasing under six land use plans (Book Cliffs

11 Alternative B Alternative B is the BLM s Preferred Alternative Alternative B proposes designating 431,224 acres available for consideration for oil sands leasing under six land use plans (Book Cliffs RMP, Diamond Mountain RMP, Henry Mountain MFP, Price River Resource Area MFP, San Rafael Resource Area RMP, and San Juan Resource Area RMP) Alternative B makes the lands in the ten STSAs included in the PEIS study area (other than the categorically excluded lands) available for consideration for leasing Alternative B includes approximately 100,000 acres of land identified as having wilderness characteristics and 1,000 acres of potential ACECs

12 Alternative C Alternative C proposes designating 229,038 acres available for consideration for oil sands leasing under six land use plans (Book Cliffs RMP, Diamond Mountain RMP, Henry Mountain MFP, Price River Resource Area MFP, San Rafael Resource Area RMP, and San Juan Resource Area RMP) Alternative C excludes from oil sands leasing those public lands that currently have in place (under existing land use plans) surfacedisturbance restrictions or seasonal limitations to protect known sensitive resources Alternative C includes approximately 8,000 acres of land identified as having wilderness characteristics and 85,000 acres of potential ACECs

13 Comparison of Alternatives B and C

Partial Comparison of Alternatives B and C Land with wilderness characteristics 100,000 acres 8,000 acres Potential ACECs 1,00 acres 85,000 acres Paleontological resources 335,000 acres 148,000 acres

14 Partial Comparison of Alternatives B and C Land with wilderness characteristics 100,000 acres 8,000 acres Potential ACECs 1,00 acres 85,000 acres Paleontological resources 335,000 acres 148,000 acres Perennial streams 1,000 acres of potential 28 ACECs miles 85,000 aces of potential 19 miles Protected plant communities and habitats Wildlife habitat (including big game, raptor, sage grouse and wild horse habitat) 2,100 acres none 431,000 acres 229,000 acres Cultural resources 221,000 acres 97,000 acres Impacts on air quality, water quality, visual resources, noise, ecological and aquatic resources, socioeconomic conditions, and federally listed species are expected to be similar in nature

15 Time Frame for Finalization of the PEIS Public comment period on the alternatives presented in the PEIS is open until March 20, 2008 Informal public meetings on the PEIS will be held in Utah on February 25 in Salt Lake, on February 2 in Price, and on February 27 in Vernal (time and place information available at The BLM will evaluate and respond to comments and, along with the Cooperating Agencies, will develop a Final PEIS The Final PEIS is scheduled to be completed by August 31, 2008 The Governors consistency review of the Final PEIS is scheduled for September and October 2008 The Record of Decision is scheduled for issuance in December 2008

16 Where Does the PEIS Leave Oil Sands Leasing? The BLM anticipates leasing through a lease-by-application process where the BLM would issue a call for applications and companies would identify the specific lands of interest to them Substantial NEPA analysis, including evaluation of the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of specific leasing decisions, has been deferred to the leasing stage Similarly, project-specific NEPA analysis of specific lease technologies and on and off-site impacts, as well as development of oil sands lease stipulations and mitigation measures, has been deferred to the leasing stage Consultation with the US Fish & Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act has been deferred to the leasing stage The PEIS analysis does not resolve open questions of BLM management requirements for public lands that have wilderness characteristics but have not been designated as either Wilderness or WSAs and for public lands that have been identified as eligible for ACEC designation, but which have not yet been designated The PEIS analysis does not address the issues of potential impairment of public lands excluded from leasing under the PEIS as a result of proximate oil sands leasing development Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration issues Impacts of Proposed Utah Energy Corridors

Uinta Basin Energy Summit Economic Overview September 10, 2015

Uinta Basin Energy Summit Economic Overview September 10, 2015 Overview National Economic Conditions Utah Economic Conditions Utah is One of the Fastest Growing CA States in the Country Percent Change