Land

Canadians Fight Tar Sands, Israelis Fight Oil Shale
April 12th, 2011
Tafline Laylin
Rachel Jacobson shares the story behind protecting the beautiful view from “Big Oil.”

BLM reconsidering acreage for oil shale, tar sands

The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Apr 13 2011

The Bureau of Land Management will conduct a “fresh” study to determine how much public acreage to open to potential oil shale and tar sands development, the agency announced Wednesday.

In 2008, under the Bush administration, the agency amended eight area management plans in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming to open about 1.9 million acres for oil shale development and more than 430,000 acres for tar sands.

Protesters demand halt to bank’s tar sands financing
Herald Scotland
cHRIS WATT and SIMON BAIN

20 Apr 2011

PROTESTERS yesterday hijacked a meeting of the Royal Bank of Scotland to demand an end to state-backed funding for tar sands oil projects.

Representatives of Canada’s First Nations visited Edinburgh to tell the bank’s annual meeting that oil extraction could threaten their way of life and cause untold environmental damage in the event of a spill.

Estonia sees rock as future of global energy

By Anneli Reigas (AFP) – Mar 22, 2011

NARVA, Estonia — A huge excavator bites into the earth of an open-cast mine, as the operator skillfully mans the controls in a cabin four storeys from ground level.

For the small Baltic state of Estonia, rock is the future of energy.

The European Union nation of 1.3 million generates 97 percent of its electricity thanks to oil shale -- sediment formed 400-450 million years ago, containing hydrocarbons. Its industry forecasts that shale's use can only expand.

Feds to consider tars sands, shale projects

The Associated Press April 13, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY

The federal government says it will take a fresh look at commercial oil shale and tar sands plans in the Western United States.

The Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday it would soon begin performing environmental studies for potential projects on federal land in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. The agency is seeking public comment.

Canadian firm to probe Utah oil sands
Project to build mine would be first of its kind in United States
Written by
CHI-CHI ZHANG
Associated Press
April 17 2011

SALT LAKE CITY -- Beneath the lush, green hills of eastern Utah's Uinta Basin, where elk, bear and bison outnumber people, the soil is saturated with a sticky tar that may soon provide a new domestic source of petroleum for the United States.

It would be a first-of-its kind project in the country that some fear could be a slippery slope toward widespread wilderness destruction.

Montana issues permit for Imperial Oil test module
Associated Press, 04.11.11, 02:53 PM EDT

LEWISTON, Idaho -- The Montana Department of Transportation has issued a permit that would allow Imperial Oil to haul a huge load of refinery equipment from Idaho into Montana on its way to an oil sands project in Alberta, Canada.

Montana issued the permit to Imperial Oil on Friday, clearing the way for the 500,000-pound test load to leave the Port of Lewiston as early as Monday night.

Debate stirred over 1st major US tar sands mine
AP
By CHI-CHI ZHANG, Associated Press – Sun Apr 10 2011

SALT LAKE CITY – Beneath the lush, green hills of eastern Utah's Uinta Basin, where elk, bear and bison outnumber people, the soil is saturated with a sticky tar that may soon provide a new domestic source of petroleum for the United States. It would be a first-of-its kind project in the country that some fear could be a slippery slope toward widespread wilderness destruction.

Enormous Kearl-bound oilsands shipments target of Montana lawsuit
By: The Canadian Press
Posted: 04/1/2011

CALGARY - The Government of Montana is being challenged in court over its decision to approve the shipment of enormous truckloads of oilsands equipment through the state to northern Alberta.

Missoula County and three environmental groups say in a lawsuit that the state Transportation Department made the wrong decision in allowing the shipments and are demanding a full environmental impact assessment.

Enbridge pushes for political support of oil sands pipeline
CARRIE TAIT
CALGARY— From Friday's Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Mar. 31, 2011

Pat Daniel, Enbridge Inc.’s (ENB-T60.180.761.28%) soft-spoken but increasingly vocal chief executive office, wants Canada’s role in the global energy market to become an election issue, publicly pressuring politicians to support his company’s controversial oil sands pipeline – an unusual and risky tactic that highlights the growing resistance to the project.