| OCR Text |
Show XII-38 UPDATING THE HOOVER DAM DOCUMENTS year per 100,000 bpd production. On the basis of a projected industry output of 1 million bpd by 1985, the new water demands could vary between 50,000 and 200,000 acre-feet per year. The Department of Interior's Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Prototype Oil Shale Leasing Program assumes that oil shale development will take place in two phases: Phase I would be experimental, testing different mining techniques, land and water disposal, reclamation schemes, and environmental programs. In this phase, the three States are expected to produce, by 1983, about 500,000 bpd. Of this, 250,000 bpd would come from private lands in Colorado. Phase II is envisioned to evolve from Phase I research and development and thus could start between 1982 and 1986. Development would be continuous and dependent on Phase I technical results, the alternative cost of energy, extent of private development, environmental assessments, and other factors. About 500,000 bpd of capacity reasonably could be expected to be added in the early stages of Phase II for a total oil shale industry production of 1 million bpd by 1987. For Phase I development, no severe problems are anticipated in meeting water demands. As development expands, however, problems will arise. Sources of water that may be used are ground water, diversions from uncontrolled streams, existing Federal reservoirs, newly constructed storage facilities both Federal and non-Federal, and conversion of agricultural water use to industrial use. As development proceeds, other problems may involve Colorado River Compact limitations on total consumptive use within the upper basin States. The July 1974 report of the Department of the Interior on "Water for Energy in the Upper Colorado River Basin" projects an oil shale industrial output of 1,515,000 barrels of crude oil per day by the year 2000 with accompanying water requirements of 259,000 acre-feet per year. Oil shale production and processing will be accompanied by a number of significant impacts. Socio-economic impacts related to population growth could place heavy burdens on the existing housing, school, and public service facilities of the area. Environmental impacts could affect winter range for deer, high-quality trout streams, wild and scenic rivers, endangered species, and general scenic values. Land impacts will be those directly involved with the amount and kinds of disturbances resulting from exploration, mining, processing, and spent shale disposal activities. There also will be a significant new demand for energy to serve production and processing activities. |
