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April 2007 Edition
Kennecott Utah Copper
EVENTS JUNE 6 -- UMA EDUCATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Come and support mining education at Riverbend Golf Course, 12800 South 1040 West, in Riverton, Utah, on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 8:00 a.m. Shotgun start. Registration deadline is Tuesday, May 29, 2007. Sign up today to sponsor an event and golf. All proceeds go toward educating the public and teachers about mining and minerals and how important they are in everyone's everyday life. Education helps people understand that metals, minerals, and energy resources are essential to society and are produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Lunch, driving range, drink cart, and flight A prizes have been sponsored. Click here for a registration form.
GOVERNOR APPOINTS RULAND GILL FROM Governor Jon Huntsman has appointed Ruland J. Gill, Jr. to the Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining. Gill is vice president of government affairs and senior attorney for Questar Corporation. He joined the company in 1973 after graduating from the University of Utah with accounting and law degrees. His legal work has been principally in the area of oil and gas exploration and development. He has been involved in government-affairs work for about seventeen years. The Board of Oil, Gas and Mining is a quasi-judicial body appointed by the governor that rules on oil and gas spacing and pooling issues, provides mineral and energy resources policy guidance to the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, and hears appeals of division decisions. The board is comprised of seven members, each providing a particular expertise in oil and gas, mining, royalty matters, environmental protection or geology. "The experience and professionalism that Ruland brings with him will help ensure that the board continues to operate in the best interests of the citizens of Utah," said Board Chairman Douglas Johnson. "Ruland has the highest of credentials in oil and gas matters and will no doubt make a positive contribution to our mission." In his professional career Gill has been involved with several prominent intermountain natural resource organizations. He has served as president of the Utah Petroleum Association and as the Utah/Idaho vice president of the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association. He also has served as chair of the Board of Trustees for the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Gill replaces James Peacock who had been a member of the board since 1999 and most recently served as chairman. A former educator, Peacock served for 16 years as head of the Utah Petroleum Association.
AT UTAH MINING ASSOCIATION On April 15-17 at the Little America Hotel, Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. held Utah's first "Energy Summit." The meeting was held in conjunction with a field hearing of the Western Governor's Association Natural Resources Committee, which Governor Huntsman chairs. The Energy Summit was sold out with nearly 500 attendees in all areas related to energy in the western United States. Five Governors participated in the Summit, as well as several Congressional offices, senior Administration officials, federal agencies, state agencies and environmental, energy efficiency and conservation groups. Governor Huntsman underscored his commitment for major new R&D funding and for investments in advanced clean energy technologies, including carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Such efforts will move Utah and the nation towards the path of climate-friendly energy generation and use. I was honored to moderate the panel for "Next-Generation Clean Coal Technologies," where Don Symonds from Norwest, and other speakers, gave excellent presentations on new emerging clean coal technologies. The conclusions I noted from the Summit were as follows:
INDUSTRY JOINS FIGHT ON GLOBAL WARMING WASHINGTON - Sometime this summer, a huge coal-fired power plant near the shore of Lake Michigan will try a new process to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), a powerful greenhouse gas that gushes from its smokestack. The experiment at the We Energies plant in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., is among a batch of technologies aimed at slowing the rising tide of CO2 in the atmosphere, which scientists have concluded is a leading cause of global warming. Half the electricity generated in the United States comes from burning coal, America's most plentiful and cheapest energy source. Unfortunately, burning coal also is a major producer of carbon dioxide, releasing an estimated 1.5 billion tons of the heat- trapping gas every year. Experts think much of the buildup can be avoided if CO2 is captured at power plants and stored underground or under the ocean for hundreds, even thousands, of years. This process, known as "carbon capture and sequestration," is one of the hottest fronts in the battle against global warming. "Carbon capture and storage is central to the future of coal in the United States and our future energy policy," Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said at a hearing March 22. "It won't be cheap or easy," cautioned Bryan Hannegan, a vice president at the Electric Power Research Institute, a power- industry organization based in Palo Alto, Calif. "It will require billions [of dollars and] a potentially large hike in consumers' electric bills." Many technical problems remain to be solved. The Department of Energy estimates that it might be at least 2020 before carbon capture and sequestration will be economically competitive with existing plants. The $11 million Pleasant Prairie carbon-capture pilot experiment is a joint project of EPRI and Alstom, a French manufacturer of power equipment. The Alstom system uses chilled ammonia, a common solvent, to separate carbon dioxide from other flue gases created in the power plant. It works somewhat like the way a catalytic converter removes toxic gases in an automobile engine. If the Wisconsin experiment succeeds, American Electric Power, a giant utility company based in Columbus, Ohio, will apply it in a much larger, $80 million demonstration project at its Mountaineer plant in New Haven, W.Va., starting in mid-2008. Up to 100,000 tons a year of CO2 captured there will be stored 9,000 feet below the ground in a nearby saltwater aquifer. If the West Virginia operation goes well, AEP plans to open a $300 million commercial-scale carbon-capture plant in 2011 at its Northeastern Station in Oologah, Okla. That system is expected to collect 1.5 million tons of CO2 a year. The gas will be pumped into existing oil wells to raise the pressure and drive out more oil. AEP chose the chilled-ammonia system because it's more efficient and costs less than other technologies, company spokesman Barry McNulty said. In EPRI's laboratory tests, the process removed up to 90 percent of the carbon dioxide and required a third as much energy as other technologies, he said. The storage, or sequestration, of carbon dioxide captured from coal or other fuels has been under way for more than a decade. Norway has pumped millions of tons of CO2 collected from a natural gas field into an aquifer below the North Sea. Algeria re- injects CO2 from its Salah gas field into an underground geologic formation. The Great Plains Synfuels coal-gasification plant in Beulah, N.D., captures a million tons a year of CO2 and pipes it 200 miles to spur oil production at the Weyburn oil field in Saskatchewan, Canada. "These three projects together sequester 3 [million] to 4 million tons of CO2 per year, about as much as one typical 500-megawatt coal- fired plant," Hannegan told the Senate committee. "With 17 collective years of operating experience, these projects suggest that CO2 storage in deep geologic formations can be carried out safely and reliably." EPRI estimates that the United States has enough underground storage capacity to hold several centuries' worth of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning power plants. The rising interest in carbon capture and storage is a response to mounting public awareness and concern about global warming. The Democratic-controlled Congress is showing new interest in legislation promoting or requiring CO2 reductions. The coal-power industry is reading the handwriting on the wall. "The potential for future regulations on CO2 emissions prompted We Energies to indicate interest in supporting development of promising carbon-capture technologies," McNulty said. "With Congress expected to take action on greenhouse-gas issues in climate legislation, it's time to advance this technology for commercial use," Michael Morris, American Electric Power's chief executive officer, has said. "It's very clear to us which way the policy debate is going on this," American Electric Power spokesman Pat Hemlepp said. "It's going to accelerate this technology and its commercial applications.
COAL REMAINS VITAL FUEL SOURCE
FOR ELECTRICITY I am writing in response to a recent essay by Marc Franke, a volunteer with the Iowa Renewable Energy Association. I'm a bit more optimistic than he is about the future of technology and where it will lead us. Electricity generated from coal is one of the most affordable and reliable sources of energy and is a vital component of a thriving economy. Over the past 35 years, coal-based generation has become increasingly clean as a result of tremendous progress in technology. Since 1970, the average emissions rate for coal-based power plants has improved by nearly 77 percent for sulfur dioxide, 60 percent for nitrogen oxides and 96 percent for particulate matter, data from the Environmental Protection Agency show. Clean-coal technology promises to greatly reduce or even eliminate emissions that have been tied to global warming. But these technologies, such as sequestering carbon dioxide underground, need time to fully mature and become cost-effective. Rather than turn our collective backs against the coal industry and dismiss years of technological breakthroughs - it is technology that will save our environment - let's make an honest assessment of what's at stake. Franke is correct when he points out that about 85 percent of the electricity in Iowa comes from coal-based generation. In fact, 25 states rely on coal to supply at least 50 percent of their energy requirements. From 2000 to 2005, the 10 states with lowest business-energy costs enjoyed 60 percent higher average employment growth compared to the 10 states with the highest energy costs, according to a March 2007 study by Management Information Services Inc. Further, four of the 10 states with the highest business-energy costs experienced net job losses over the same period. The cost of electricity not only promotes economic development, but also profoundly affects the lives of millions of Americans. For those living on low or fixed incomes, energy costs consume 20 percent to 46 percent of total household income. Given the demonstrated linkage between household income and health, surges in energy costs can be expected to compromise the quality of life of the one-in-three American households with an annual income of $30,000 or less. The economic impact of affordable and reliable coal-based generation on the Iowa economy in the year 2015 is estimated at more than $21 billion, affecting more than 157,000 jobs in the state and impacting household income at a rate of $6.6 billion, according to a report by Penn State University professor Adam Rose and graduate research assistant Dan Wei. There is no doubt that renewable-energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass will create job opportunities here and there. But because they all are intermittent sources of energy, not capable of meeting
UTAH STATE SENATOR ED MAYNE Senate Assistant Minority Whip Ed Mayne, D-West Valley, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The cancer was discovered during a CT scan of his lungs that was done two weeks ago because of pneumonia like symptoms. The cancer is in his right lung; it was picked up early enough to be treatable. Mayne, a labor leader who was elected to the Senate in 1994, said that he will undergo "very aggressive" chemotherapy over the next three to four months. After that, doctors are "optimistic" that the cancer will be in remission. "This thing happened so quickly. Two weeks ago, I was being treated for pneumonia, then it became cancer," he said. "Luckily, they discovered it early, and we have a good medical team. We feel good that we caught this early and will be able to beat it." The diagnosis has changed "my whole perspective on early detection," he said, and he plans to work hard during the next legislative session to bring attention to the necessity for testing. Among other things, he said that could include a shaving of his head by fellow senators. Something that will not change is his approach to working in the Legislature in a way that is not necessarily good news for the Republicans in the Senate. "I'm not going to miss a beat," he said. "I'm going to be a lot more aggressive, if that can be done." Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, who had a cancerous tumor removed from his lungs two years ago, said that he was glad to hear that the cancer was detected early enough to be treated. "It's always scary when you hear the 'c' word," Dmitrich said. "He's a real statesman, and I'm sure he'll be really aggressive on cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment and all of that. I hope he recovers fully, because he's a stalwart." Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said that while it's never good news to hear about a colleague suffering, he was glad to hear that Mayne would recover and, for better or worse, be the same senator they always have known. "We are sad to hear about one of the great statesmen of the Senate fighting with the disease of cancer," Valentine said. "But we're anticipating that he will make a full recovery, and then be back to his old irascible self." Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said that when anything strikes a member of the "Senate fraternity," partisan debates and political disputes are irrelevant. Instead, the prayers are universal and their fellow member's health is paramount. "We can debate issues, but when it comes down to it, we are all brothers and sisters," he said. HUNTSMAN LAUNCHES UTAH ENERGY SUMMIT, America's seemingly insatiable appetite for electricity and fuel, global competition for energy to feed emergent economies, and studies about global warming haven't been enough to prompt members of Congress to pass meaningful laws to control our energy future and curb greenhouse gases. So, for the first time, the National Governors Association, which is tired of federal legislative and executive dithering, has created specific priorities for Congress to consider this session, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. announced Sunday. At the top of the list - in fact, an "imperative" - is acting to head off the devastation of climate change, Huntsman said during opening remarks at the three-day Utah Energy Summit in downtown Salt Lake City. The governors want expanded alternative fuels programs, vehicles with better fuel efficiency, continued renewable energy development tax credits, new clean-coal technology that will eliminate emissions of greenhouse gases, enhanced focus on conservation and energy efficiency, and a massive funding infusion for new technology. "It's nice to think in the abstract, it's nice to argue in the abstract, but it's time to get in the concrete," Huntsman said. But not without considering long-term effects of energy development, said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat who salts his progressive goals with hard-nosed realism. Schweitzer, who huddled privately with Huntsman after the two opened the summit, reminded the more than 450 attendees that American Indian tribes advocated looking ahead seven generations when considering their actions. If the United States did this now, it would be better off, Schweitzer said. Instead, we rely on mostly unfriendly nations for 4 billion barrels of oil a year. With a 300-year supply of coal, the nation has no energy shortage, Schweitzer said. Rather, we have a technology shortage that won't change unless Congress spends more money to develop technology that strips and disposes of greenhouse gases that coal-burning power plants generate. Schweitzer called the federal expenditure of $200 million on developing such technology "a joke," especially when the government is spending billions of dollars importing energy. "Coal is our future," he said, chiding those who would abandon coal or ignore nuclear power potential. "Are you willing to sit naked in trees and eat nuts?" Reporting on what the 110th Congress is up to regarding the energy future, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, said climate change is the dominant issue. "The science is clear," he said. "There's now very high confidence the Earth is warming." Matheson sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which he said is working on climate change legislation that will pass, but that other such bills now before Congress won't. Huntsman, chairman of the governors' association Natural Resources Committee, presided over the committee's field hearing that set the agenda for the rest of the summit. Huntsman's goal is to ensure the West stands out as a national leader on energy policy, especially regarding conservation and energy efficiency. The governor already has launched an ambitious campaign to increase Utah's overall energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2015. Some of the West's biggest names in energy, including $10,000-apiece Platinum sponsors Arch Coal, Rocky Mountain Power, Questar, Chevron and Bill Barrett Corp., are paying for the summit. The conference is drawing elected officials and environmental advocates, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Utah Clean Energy. But some environmental groups have criticized the summit organizer, Jim Sims, for his ties to extractive industry groups. In 2001, Sims managed communications for Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, a panel criticized for taking too much advice from the fossil fuel industry and doing so behind closed doors. In 2004, he gathered lawmakers - including Utah GOP Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop - on the energy industry's tab for an exclusive golf weekend in Phoenix to draft a "to-do" list for Congress and raise money for the lawmakers. Sims told The Salt Lake Tribune the criticism was a "cheap shot" that ignores the diverse perspectives reflected in the summit's agenda. You can browse and download a wealth of information from the Summit, including all PowerPoint presentations that were made, by going to the Summit website: www.utahenergysummit.com. FOCUS IS ON RENEWABLE POWER What's not to like about renewable energy? Apparently a lot, given that non-hydroelectric renewable energy accounts for just 2 percent of the nation's energy mix. Wind power, which makes up half that total, accounts for just one-tenth of 1 percent of Utah's electricity despite abundant potential. And it's not just wind resources that go begging. Solar, geothermal, biomass, biofuels and landfill and livestock methane present economic opportunity as well as a way to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a panel of experts said Monday at the Utah Energy Summit in Salt Lake City. "The United States is well-endowed with renewable resources, basically in every state," said Doug Arent, of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. The discussion was part of Gov. Jon Huntsman's three-day summit that began Sunday with a meeting of the National Governors Association on the subject of Western energy development. Opening the summit, Huntsman said the governors want to spur economic development through expanded alternative fuels programs, vehicles with better fuel efficiency, continued renewable energy development tax credits, new clean-coal technology that will eliminate emissions of greenhouse gases, enhanced focus on conservation and energy efficiency and a massive funding infusion for new technology. Above all, they want to counter global warming, Huntsman said. But even with escalating technological advances and significant efforts to increase energy efficiency and conservation, the world's energy demand is expected to double current levels by 2050, when it will reach 20 million megawatts, Arent said. By that same year, renewable energy is expected to yield one million megawatts of electricity. Environmental advocates and renewable energy developers - including large corporations such as Chevron and Mid- American Energy Holdings, owner of Rocky Mountain Power - exchanged opinions on this apparent contradiction. Their conclusion? Federal leadership has fallen short, state legislatures refuse to mandate renewable portfolios and regulatory commissions have yet to fully appreciate the costs of including renewables in the utility mix. Transmission lines need to be built and utilities are unable to attract investment when financial returns can't be guaranteed. Obstacles also include inconsistent federal tax incentives, a global wind turbine shortage, huge cost increases for construction, materials and transportation and a persistent attitude that wind isn't a reliable resource. Still, major players are investing in wind and other renewable resources. General Electric, Siemans, Goldman Sachs, BP and Shell are now big names in wind investment, said Ron Lehr, the American Wind Energy Association's Western representative. "The wind is always blowing someplace," Lehr said. What's needed is more turbines. And remember, Lehr said, all energy is subsidized - witness the recent 20-year extension of the $10 billion nuclear industry insurance program under the Price-Anderson Act - so get over the idea that renewables ought to stand on their own in the market. But bringing renewables to market is expensive, said Jonathan Weisgall, MidAmerican's vice president for regulatory and legislative affairs and president of the Geothermal Energy Association. "No company is going to put up three, four, five billion dollars for transmission without understanding the cost of [investment] recovery," he said. All renewable energy sources together account for about 2 percent of the mix in the seven Rocky Mountain interior states, said John Nielson, executive director of Western Resource Advocates, a nonprofit law and advocacy organization based in Boulder, Colo. But no state has more than 500 megawatts of renewable generation, far below what could be developed, Nielson said. The organization's studies have shown that the most effective policy for unleashing renewable potential has been renewable portfolio standards, which state percentage goals for the energy mix. Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Montana have goals ranging from Arizona's 1.1 percent renewable mix by this year to California's 20 percent goal by 2017. Utah, Idaho and Wyoming do not have renewable portfolio standards. Instead, Huntsman has chosen to focus on efficiency and conservation, and has set a goal of increasing overall savings of 20 percent by 2015. Utah's 2007 Legislature also passed laws extending the renewable energy tax credit, establishing a revolving loan fund for energy efficiency and state fleet efficiency requirements. It did not, however, approve a tax credit for fuel-efficient vehicles.
SUPREME COURT ORDERS EPA TO DENVER (April 2, 2007) - Earlier today the U.S. Supreme Court reversed and remanded a federal appeals court decision upholding EPA's refusal to regulate greenhouse gases under the U.S. Clean Air Act in Massachusetts v. EPA. "This case carries enormous ramifications for climate change litigation and policy in the United States," said James Holtkamp, chair of Holland & Hart LLP's Global Climate Change practice. In its 5-4 decision, the Court focused particularly on Massachusetts' status as a sovereign entity, declaring that it is entitled to "special solicitude." The Court explicitly found that the harms from climate change "are serious and well recognized," and rejected arguments the relief requested by Massachusetts and the other petitioners would not realistically mitigate those changes. Citing the "enormity of the potential consequences" of climate change, the Court observed that even delayed incremental steps to address the issue are within the purview of federal courts. The Court held that the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, and that EPA's refusal to decide whether greenhouse gas emissions cause or contribute to climate change was arbitrary and capricious and a violation of the Clean Air Act. The Court remanded the petition to EPA, and directed EPA to "ground its reasons for action or inaction" in the Clean Air Act. The Court has reinforced the arguments of plaintiffs and petitioners alleging damages from climate change in a number of pending cases. In addition, by explicitly holding that the Clean Air Act authorizes regulation of greenhouse gases and that the harm from climate change is real, the Court may make it difficult for EPA to make findings justifying a refusal to find that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health or welfare. Once such a finding is made, the Act requires EPA to regulate the emissions. Although the opinion deals with EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, the holding has significant implications for the regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, such as power plants, refineries and manufacturing facilities. If carbon dioxide becomes a criteria pollutant for stationary sources under the Clean Air Act, EPA and the states will be faced with the daunting task of establishing ambient air quality standards for carbon dioxide and requiring Best Available Control Technology for greenhouse gas emissions. According to Mr. Holtkamp, "The Court's decision will significantly increase the pressure on Congress to craft a comprehensive, mandatory climate change program." PACIFICORP COMPLETES MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL UPGRADE PacifiCorp has announced the completion of a major upgrade of environmental controls for a 480 MW coal unit plant at Huntington. The utility is keeping open the option of upgrading a nearby Hunter plant. Construction work has finished at Huntington on two of three environmental projects on Unit 2, said PacifiCorp spokesman Dave Eskelsen. The finished projects are a baghouse system to replace an electrostatic precipitator to capture particulate emissions, plus low-NOx burners. The third project, installation of a first-time SO2 scrubber, will be completed this spring. Unit 1 already has a scrubber. Eskelsen noted that "PacifiCorp pursued these projects proactively for their environmental benefits without any clean-air mandates from regulators." The projects will help ensure the long -term operation of both units. The scrubber would also give PacifiCorp more flexibility to burn higher-sulfur coal in Unit 2 In the meantime, the Hunter upgrades are contingent on whether Unit 4 is built at the plant. Like other utilities developing new coal units lately, PacifiCorp would offer to regulators to reduce emissions at the existing units so that a new unit would not increase overall emissions from the site. In a notice of intent filed in August 2006 with the Utah Division of Air Quality, PacifiCorp said the Hunter projects include conversion of the existing electrostatic precipitators on Units 1 and 2 to baghouses, replacement of low-NOx burners on all three units and upgrades of the flue gas conditioning systems on Units 1 and 2 so that they can remove over 90% of SO2 emissions. The Hunter plant consists of two 430-MW (net) units and one 460-MW (net) unit designated as Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The new Hunter unit, and therefore the upgrades at the existing three units, are in limbo right now. PacifiCorp currently has a draft request for proposals for new power supply before utility regulators in Utah and Oregon for input, with hopes of getting that RFP on the street early this summer. If there are any offers for pulverized coal units out of that RFP, they will be compared to three self-built units with the same technology that PacifiCorp has in the works. The existing Intermountain coal plant is controlled by the Intermountain Power Agency, which is made up of a number of Utah municipal utilities. PacifiCorp plans to take a 37% equity stake in the 900 MW of total capacity of the planned Unit 3, which makes this capacity a self-built option and not something that would be bid by Intermountain Power into the upcoming RFP for outside power. PacifiCorp will welcome coal-fired integrated gasification combined-cycle projects in the RFP, with any such offers automatically placed on the RFP short list and not subject to competition with pulverized coal units planned by PacifiCorp or proposed by outside parties. Eskelsen said that PacifiCorp stakeholders, while recognizing IGCC is not cost competitive with pulverized coal, have shown a high-priority interest in IGCC technology due to its environmental benefits. PacifiCorp has its own IGCC project, at the Bridger plant in Wyoming, that will also figure into things. Intermountain Power has rejected IGCC as an option for the planned Unit 3 at its plant. Ultimately, when state regulators are given the results of the RFP, they will have to make a decision on whether IGCC is worth the extra cost and therefore should be part of PacifiCorp's future power supply portfolio, Eskelsen said. The general rule of thumb in the utility industry is that IGCC is 15%-20% more expensive than pulverized coal, but Eskelsen said there currently is a lack of hard data on comparative costs and that the differential may be even higher. One unknown factor is whether coal gasification will work well at the high elevations Another key issue is the different attitude towards coal between PacifiCorp's jurisdictional states.
TWO BLM OFFICIALS OFF THE HOOK FOR MEETING OIL EXECS WASHINGTON - The Interior Department's inspector general found no evidence that two officials, including Utah's former state Bureau of Land Management director, did anything inappropriate in meeting with Utah interests, including oil and gas companies. The investigation was sparked after the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance obtained a memo by Robert Weidner, a lobbyist for several rural counties, in which Weidner indicated that the former interim director, Henri Bisson, had promised to "fix" hurdles to accessing federal lands. Weidner also wrote that Bisson and the national BLM deputy director at the time, Jim Hughes, promised at a July 18, 2006, meeting to take steps to "promote economic growth and reduce restrictions on access to the public lands." The environmental groups and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., complained the BLM was rigging decisions to open public lands for drilling and development in closed-door meetings without an opportunity for environmentalists to comment. "We found no evidence to substantiate that BLM officials engaged in any behavior that could be characterized as improper dealings for the purpose of promoting local economic interests at the expense of wilderness protections currently in place," Inspector General Earl Devaney wrote in a letter to Hinchey. Devaney said both BLM officials provided sworn statements "denying they had made any commitments to county officials other than to correct errors they discovered in the proposed [resource management plans] and to publish those plans according to schedule." Weidner told the inspector general that correcting those mistakes was what he meant when he wrote that Bisson and Hughes had said they would "fix" the plans. Other county and BLM officials who attended the July meeting also said there were no implied covert dealings. Two Richfield BLM employees expressed concern at the "deference" the BLM had given to the oil and gas industry at what they perceived to be the expense of other uses of the public lands. Neither could point to wrongdoing by BLM officials. A spokeswoman for the BLM, reached late Thursday, declined to comment. Hinchey's spokesman said the congressman had not had time to review the findings. Weidner said that "SUWA and its lackey, Congressman Hinchey, succeeded in wasting taxpayers' money by misleading the IG into doing the investigation in the first place. That said, I am grateful for his honest finding of facts." Steve Bloch, an attorney for SUWA, said that he was pleased that the request was taken seriously. "Based on what we've seen in Utah over the past five-and-a-half, six years, we continue to have serious concerns that state and county officials and the oil and gas industry is having undue influence on the current and future management of Utah's public lands, and we look forward to continued oversight hearings in Congress to continue to investigate that," Bloch said. The inspector general conducted a series of interviews with individuals in Washington and Richfield, Utah, and reviewed land-use planning documents. STEP IT UP: WARMING UP TO
COMBATING WARMING Scientists have spoken, convincingly. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising and weather patterns are changing as the planet slowly chokes on greenhouse gases. The world's ability to support human life as we know it is threatened, and, unlike forest fires, there's nothing you and you alone can do about it. Only politicians can prevent global warming. But you and millions of other people, well, that's a different story. If we all step up and change the way we live our lives - drive less, walk more, reduce our consumption of electricity - it will be a step in the right direction. And if we join forces in a new grass-roots effort, beginning tomorrow, to convince our government to do its part, we'll be on the road to success. It's called "Step It Up 2007," a nationwide campaign that goes far beyond encouraging individuals to drive hybrids, ride the bus and turn off some lights to reduce energy consumption. It aims at the root of the problem, our representatives in Washington, D.C. At more than 1,300 locations, including four in Salt Lake City, concerned citizens will gather to learn about global warming, listen to speeches and bands, and more importantly, send a message to Congress: "Take bold and immediate steps to combat global warming. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050." There's an "or else" in that message, an implied threat that should make politicians take notice. Do it - reduce greenhouse gases starting now - or we'll elect somebody who will. It won't be easy. We'll have to change the way we produce electricity and transport ourselves, but it can be done. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases qualify as pollutants under the Clean Air Act, giving the Environmental Protection Agency the right to regulate them. While the lame-duck Bush administration opposes mandatory reductions, Congress must begin to impose strict limits. And you, by applying political pressure and voting with your body at a rally tomorrow, can help. A list of events can be found online at events.stepitup2007.org. We owe it to the world. The United States produces a quarter of the planet's greenhouse gases. And we owe it to ourselves and our children. Humans, Americans in particular, have the ability to destroy the world. We've proven that. Now it's time to prove we can save it. NEW MERCURY ALERT More mercury has been found in the fish that swim in Utah's reservoirs, rivers and streams, including the popular Jordanelle Reservoir. After a two-year study of toxic mercury levels in fish, state officials Monday issued six new consumption advisories, with more expected in the coming months. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Wildlife Resources and Department of Health jointly released a 52-page report that advises all adults, pregnant and nursing women and young children to limit eating three species of trout found in six water bodies in Wasatch, Washington, Iron, Garfield and Emery counties. "I'm not surprised. I'm concerned," DEQ assistant director John Whitehead said of the report, completed April 11. Utah now has nine mercury-related consumption advisories on nine waterways scattered across the state. The new advisories are for brown trout from the Jordanelle Reservoir in Wasatch Count, the Weber River near Morgan and Calf Creek in Garfield County; rainbow trout from Upper Enterprise Reservoir in Washington County and Newcastle Reservoir in Iron County; and splake trout from Joe's Valley Reservoir in Emery County. Sampling conducted by the state Health Department determined methylmercury levels in the fish exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard of .3 milligrams per kilogram. Ed Kent, chairman of the Utah Anglers Coalition, said he expects to see more such advisories. "This has been a persistent problem for a long time," he said. "It's like asbestos was 25 years ago and lead-based paint 10 years ago. It is an issue that we are becoming more aware of because more research is being done to find out how expansive and pervasive the problem is." The sampling conducted in 26 counties between 2004 and 2006 was "opportunistic" - that is, DEQ staffers sampling water quality also caught fish that were skinned and filleted for Health Department testing. Because some of the samples were too small, or showed too large a gap in methylmercury levels, DEQ will re-sample several waterways, Whitehead said. Mercury is a highly toxic element that occurs naturally in the environment but also has been introduced through human activity. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury pollution in the world and continue to spread mercury through the atmosphere. Utah's industrial and mining past has exposed the Great Salt Lake and other waterways to mercury pollution. Gold mines in northeastern Nevada, upwind of Salt Lake City, have reported releasing large amounts of mercury into the atmosphere. Inorganic mercury evaporates easily. Rain redeposits it on land and in water bodies, where it is changed to its organic form - methylmercury - which in turn "bio-accumulates" in animals and humans who eat the animals. Methylmercury affects the human nervous system, and is most harmful to fetuses and young children because it can cause developmental and neurological problems. Recent studies also have linked mercury exposure to autism, Alzheimer's disease and increased risk of heart disease in men. DEQ began testing fish in earnest for mercury after a 2005 U.S. Geological Survey scientists studying the Great Salt Lake found alarmingly high levels of methylmercury. While DEQ is working to identify where the mercury comes from, the agency has yet to zero in on sources - though officials suspect the pollution is airborne and falls to Earth even without the help of rain or snow. "There are a lot of sites and areas where we don't have a problem. It's not just one part of the state," Whitehead said. But there are hot spots, including three reservoirs in the southwestern part of the state and the Escalante River watershed. "We'd like to find out if there's something going on locally," he said. "Is it local geology? Is there something with the airshed? Is there legacy mining in the area?" Roger Wilson, sport fishing coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said his agency will focus on those hot spots. "Our intent is to be up-front with the public and post the risk information," he said. "The thing to remember is that the advisories can change based on the most recent samplings." Wilson said there has been no evidence that consumption warnings have affected the purchasing of fishing licenses. He said the state wildlife agency sold 30,000 more fishing licenses, ranging from 1-day resident to 365-day nonresident permits, in 2006 than in 2005. "If people are concerned about, or reach, the consumption warnings, they can always practice catch-and-release fishing," Wilson said. Kent said he didn't know whether the new announcement would curb angling activity. "You can go anywhere in the state, the nation and the world and do the same sampling and find the same problems; that's how widespread this problem is," he said. State epidemiologist Wayne Ball said the advisories kept to the EPA standard as a matter of public health, and were based on recreational fishers' consumption. "These are the amounts you could safely eat over a long period of time," Ball said. "So if you ate more than the limit, but then don't eat any for a month or two, your body does eliminate the mercury." Ball added that he expected to issue more advisories as the sampling program continues. According to the 2005 Utah Angler Survey, prepared by Utah State University for the Division of Wildlife Resources, 78 percent of anglers fishing for "keep-sized" cold-water species - mostly trout - release what they catch. "I don't think we should raise the flag and sound a screeching alarm at this point," Kent said. "We need to make the public aware that this is a problem that is going to continue to expand and make them aware of the potential health risks involved." I don't think we should raise the flag and sound a screeching alarm at this point. We need to make the public aware that this is a problem that is going to continue to expand and make them aware of the potential health risks Involved."Ed Kent, chairman of the Utah Anglers Coalition For a complete copy of the report: http://health.utah.gov/epi/enviroepi/FishHgStatewide2007Final.pdf For a list of fish advisories in Utah: http://www.deq.utah.gov/Issues/Mercury/fish advisories.htm
UTAH'S JOB GROWTH RATE
STAYS AHEAD OF NATION Utah's economy clearly was supposed to be slowing down in 2007 after years of unparalleled prosperity. Instead, job growth registered 4.5 percent for the year that ended in March, the Utah Department of Workforce Services reported Tuesday. Although that rate is down significantly from a peak of 5.4 percent last June, it remains one of the highest in the country - much higher than the national rate of 1.5 percent. With the job-creation rate going against form and remaining steady in recent months, "Utah's economy is definitely not following the script," said Mark Knold, chief economist for the Department of Workforce Services. "It's impressive that our economy is holding this high rate of growth. I certainly didn't think it would." Knold said the tight labor market and shortage of workers was supposed to curb job creation because employers should have reached a point where they simply couldn't find more workers. "But the weak national economy is actually working to our advantage. It provides an incentive for workers elsewhere to come here." Because of layoffs and poor economies elsewhere, many employers in Utah who have exhausted the local labor pool are having success recruiting out-of-state workers instead of being hamstrung by positions they cannot fill. Recruiters at the Intel-Micron joint venture, IM Flash Technologies in Lehi, are recruiting workers from around the country. They are settling not only in Lehi but through- out the Salt Lake Valley. Mark Cornelius came from Virginia to work at IM Flash. He and wife Heather are building a home in Draper they hope to move into later this month. Even though home prices in the state have jumped in recent years, the couple consider the relative affordability of Utah real estate to be one of the key reasons they decided to take the job offer. "Homes are still more affordable here than in Virginia," Heather Cornelius said. "You can't buy any type of house under $400,000 in much of Virginia. Here you can still buy a really nice house." John Wallace, an associate broker specializing in relocations for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Orem, said many people who visit the state on a job interview find Utah appealing. "I've done more relocations in the last three months than I usually do in a year," he said, adding that he has assisted people moving from Albuquerque, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., and Las Vegas - all with jobs before they came to Utah. Companies statewide are adding jobs, although much of the hiring activity is focused along the Wasatch Front. All industries seem to be in on the action, with construction leading the way. With job growth so high, the state's unemployment rate remains very low. The jobless rate was 2.4 percent at the end of March, down from 3.1 percent in March 2006 and significantly lower than the national average of 4.4 percent. With such a low unemployment rate, Utah is technically in a state of full employment - meaning almost everyone who wants a job can find one. The current up-cycle for Utah's economy and job market began in late 2003. By 2004, job growth climbed to 2.4 percent. By 2005, it was 4 percent. Job growth in 2006 ranged from 4.6 percent in January to the high of 5.4 percent in June. In all, the Utah economy has created about 53,500 jobs over the past year, raising total wage and salary employment in Utah to 1.23 million. This increase translates to an average monthly job gain of about 4,400 jobs. Only about 31,500 Utahns were unemployed in March 2007, down from 40,500 in March 2006. BASE METAL ANALYSIS Raymond James Equity Research is predicting continual strength in base metals prices, although by 2010 the organization predicts a falling back - but even so most will remain above 2005 levels. Base Metals prices are likely to continue on a strong trajectory with prices moderating by 2010 on prices in 2006. But the majority of base metal prices will persist well above 2005 averages by 2010 as the mining industry requires several years to develop new supply. Base Metals and Mining analyst Tom Meyer of Raymond James Equity Research Canada said in a recent report the organisation was "optimistic" on further strength in metals prices and it expected sector valuations to reflect the healthy cash flows and growing cash balances of producers soon. "With the prospect of rising or stabilising commodity prices and a moderation in inflationary operating cost pressures, we envisage continued strong performance from companies such as First Quantum and Equinox," he said. The mining industry was a in a very weak position to expand metal supply in the bountiful demand environment as it took at least 10 to 15 years to bring a new resource discovery to production. Therefore, a case could be made for an extended commodity cycle. Meyer said we were currently experiencing the fifth year of an extended cycle and could therefore expect higher prices in future. "The present valuation of producers at P/NAV of 0.79 times support the investment case for metal equities at this point. We also believe potential for merger and acquisition activity in the small and mid-capital markets is prevalent this year and could drive valuations upwards." Annual base metals price forecasts Copper: 2007: $3.31/lb 2010: $2.75 BUSINESS EXPANSION LOWER THAN EXPECTED IN MARCH In yet another sign that U.S. economic growth may be slowing, manufacturing companies reported Monday that business expanded at a lower-than-expected pace in March even as prices surged for raw materials. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of corporate purchasing executives, said its manufacturing index registered 50.9 in March, below the February reading of 52.3 and Wall Street's expectation of 51. A reading above 50 indicates growth for the sector, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction. Despite the sluggish growth, prices appeared to be surging for certain commodities, including aluminum, cobalt, copper, corn, corrugated containers, diesel fuel, natural gas and steel, as demand increased around the world.
BEIJING TO TAKE STEPS TO COOL DOWN ECONOMIC SURGE China's sizzling economy surged 11.1 percent in the first quarter, causing the country's Cabinet to declare Thursday it will take steps to keep the economy from overheating. The pledge by the State Council came after the government announced that inflation rose to its highest level in more than two years. Worries that Chinese authorities would raise interest rates to curb growth in Asia's second-biggest economy prompted regional stock markets to drop sharply. European markets also opened lower. A statement posted on the council's Web site said the government will work to ''reduce the country's large trade surplus, limit rapid growth in house prices and maintain basic price stability.'' Asian markets fell ahead of the report's release in anticipation that the numbers would be stronger than expected and prompt Beijing to act to restrain growth in China.
Cicero, N.Y.-based Syracuse Castings plans to open a new manufacturing plant in Tooele that could employ nearly 100 people within five years. The provider of steel, aluminum and cast iron products for the construction industry says its facility west of Salt Lake City will be located at 58 S.1200 West. The Utah location will initially employ about 20 people, the company said. In January, Utah offered an incentive package worth $585,000 to help convince Syracuse Castings to expand in Utah. The money is in the form of a tax rebate of corporate income taxes paid in the state, said Michael Sullivan, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Economic Development. Syracuse Castings is among a number of small manufacturing companies that are expanding in Utah as the state amid one of Utah's strongest economic expansions ever. Some are expanding in Utah to be closer to customers or vendors. Ohio-based Third Dimension, a vendor for Kraftmaid Cabinets, for example, plans to open a nearly 47,000 square foot distribution facility at 5995 W. Amelia Earhart Drive to be closer to Kraftmaid Cabinetry, which also is expanding in West Jordan. CHINA SPEEDS PAST U.S. IN EXPORTS GENEVA - China surpassed the United States as the world's second-largest exporter in the middle of last year, according to figures released Thursday by the World Trade Organization, and the Asian country is pulling further and further ahead. Export growth from China boomed 27 percent last year, outpacing all other major trading nations, the WTO said in releasing its first batch of global trade statistics for 2006. While China finished behind Germany and the United States in total exports for the full year, it overtook the United States in the last six months of 2006 and will almost certainly finish above the U.S. in the 2007 totals. At current growth rates, China is projected to overtake Germany as the world's biggest exporter in 2008. ''China's merchandise trade expansion remained outstandingly strong,'' the WTO said in its 21-page report. ''Office and telecom equipment continued to be the mainstay of Chinese export growth, but significant gains in world market shares in 2006 could be observed in 'traditional' exports such as clothing and 'new' products such as iron and steel." The WTO report comes at a time of rising tension between China and the United States and some of the findings will surely fuel debate that Beijing's trade policies are preventing American goods from entering its vast market. U.S. critics accuse the Chinese economy of benefiting from an undervalued currency, illegal government subsidies, unfair barriers to foreign competition and widespread piracy. The United States filed two new complaints against China at the WTO on Tuesday over copyright policy and restrictions on the sale of American movies, music and books - the culmination of years of agitation in Washington over one of the world's biggest sources of illegally copied goods ranging from DVDs, CDs and designer clothes to sporting goods and medications. The new cases are the latest move against China by the Bush administration, which is trying to deal with America's rising political anger over its soaring trade deficit that set a record for the fifth consecutive year in 2006 at $765.3 billion. The U.S. imbalance with China grew to $232.5 billion, the highest ever with a single country. The WTO report said China's imports rose 20 percent last year to $792 billion - a surge that was ''faster than global trade but continued to lag behind export growth.'' The commerce body partly attributed the weaker import figures to lower oil prices, but did not cite any other factors. The WTO tends to avoid issues tied to energy or currency valuation. Since 2000, China has more than doubled its share in world merchandise exports to 8 percent. Those figures do not include the goods sold abroad by Hong Kong producers because the ''special administrative region'' entered the WTO as a separate member in 1995 while still under British rule. Overall real goods trade throughout the world achieved 8 percent growth in 2006, the highest in six years, the report said. High prices for fuels and metals meant the trade expansion was 15 percent when measured in monetary terms, reaching $11.76 trillion. ''The strong performance in 2006 is welcome, particularly the gains made by developing and least-developed countries,'' WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said. The world's poorest countries boosted their trade by about 30 percent, fueled by sales of petroleum and other basic commodities. Developing nations as a whole increased their share of global goods trade to a record 36 percent. Europe recorded its strongest growth in merchandise exports since 2000, but continued to lag behind the global rate of expansion, the report said. Even as its trade deficit soared, the U.S. recorded its best export growth in more than a decade. Africa's goods exports rose 21 percent to give the continent its highest share of global trade since 1990, but most of the growth was due to increased oil sales, the WTO said. Latin America's commercial expansion decelerated slightly, while Asia remained the most buoyant of all regions for exports. For 2007, the WTO predicted that a slowdown in global economic growth to 3 percent could also keep real goods trade growth to about 6 percent. Risks facing financial and property markets, and the large trade imbalances in goods and services have raised the level of uncertainty for this year and the likelihood of weaker trade expansion, WTO economists said. Lamy said the current round of global free trade talks, which have stumbled through nearly six years, could help stabilize the global trading system. ''The uncertainties that lie ahead are a warning for us not to lose sight of the need to continue to reform the world economy,'' he said. Top trade officials from the U.S., the European Union, Brazil and India said Thursday they were making progress in talks aimed at reviving treaty negotiations, but many months of inaction have dimmed prospects for a breakthrough.
COMMODITY-RICH NATIONS SHOULD PROSPER In its semi-annual "World Economic Outlook" report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that emerging markets and developing nations, especially commodity-rich countries, are expected to continue to grow strongly, but at a slower pace. The IMF's economists suggested that "commodity-rich countries should continue to prosper" this year as the strength of food and metals prices should carry forward." Metals price rose by 57% last year, the largest increase in the IMF nonfuel commodity index. "This reflected continued strong demand growth, increased labor disputes and unplanned disruption to supply," according to the report. "Strong growth demand for stainless steel and automotive production, particularly in China, contributed to sharp price increases in nickel, zinc and lead," the IMF economists found. "Uranium prices rose by 71%, spurred by the recent rival of interest in nuclear energy. Copper prices have come down from their mid-2006 record-high levels, in part reflecting the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and weaker Chinese demand for the second half of 2006." During the year ahead, the economic outlook report forecast weaker copper and zinc prices as new mine capacity comes on line. "In contrast, nickel, tin and uranium still face more serious supply constraints and, therefore, higher possibility of upward price movements," the IMF asserted. "Over the longer term, all base metals prices should weaken from their current highs as output continues to catch up with demand, although higher long-term production costs (wages, fuel costs, and equipment costs) are likely to keep prices above historical averages." Regional Perspectives The IMF forecast that rising interest rates in China and India will weaken the expansion of their economies, reducing Asia's growth rate in 2007 and 2008. Asian emerging markets will expand 8.4% this year and decelerate further to 8% in 2008. China will grow 10% this year, and may slow to 9.5% in 2008, according to the IMF report. The bank did not discount the possibility "that the slowdown projected in China may not materialize if the effect of monetary tightening on investment proves temporary." India's economy, which is anticipated to grow 8.4% this year, will slow to 7.8% next year, according to the IMF. Economic growth in Latin America is projected to decelerate from 5.5% in 2006 to 4.9% this year, the IMF forecast. "This slowdown is expected to be relatively broad-based-Brazil and Chile are exceptions-although growth in Argentina is still projected at 7.5%. " "The external environment is expected to become somewhat less favorable as global growth moderates and oil and metals prices decline from the record levels of 2006," the IMF suggested. "Countries and regions that have particularly close trade links with the United States (such as Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) or are significant exporters of oil and metals (Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela) will be most affected," The IMF predicted that economic growth "is still expected to rebound in Chile this year as exports recover from supply disruptions in the mining sector." However, the IMF noted that the period ahead for Latin American nations "will be challenging, and difficult policy decisions will need to be made. In particular, lower commodity prices will put pressure on current account and fiscal balances making it more difficult to meet growing calls for increased social spending within a responsible overall budgetary envelope." "In particular, for countries in which public sector revenues as a share of GDP are low and/or reliant on revenues from commodity exports (e.g. Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela), efforts are needed to broaden the tax base, reduce tax exemptions that benefit the better off, and improve tax administration."
Return to Top of Page PUBLIC HELP SOUGHT IN 'TREASURE HUNT'
FOR OLD MINES The Utah Geological Survey wants you to join a treasure hunt. The sought-after gems? Old mining maps. Yes, the UGS is asking people to dig out maps they might have to help in the agency's effort to locate 400-plus abandoned mines in Utah. "This is really a public-safety issue," said Dave Tabet, UGS senior scientist. "We hope . . . we can avoid the kind of accidents that have occurred in the eastern U.S., where active mines have become flooded when they intersect abandoned mines and miners are trapped." The UGS has nailed down only 58 percent of the mines for a newly created digital database. Tabet said the agency hopes to thwart any accidents by making the information available to the public. In August 2005, four spelunkers were killed when they were trapped in an underwater passageway in an abandoned mine/cave on Provo's Y Mountain. Caving expert Chuck Acklin said "Gollum's Cave" is a natural cave that had an artificial entrance dug out to open up a spring, thus making it a partial mine. Crews sealed the treacherous cave after the four deaths. Though the UGS is searching for abandoned coal mines, Acklin, who heads the Timpanogos Grotto spelunking group, argues all the abandoned mines need to be pinpointed and covered. "The more they can close them, the better," he said. Tabet said the current UGS mapping push did not spring from the Provo tragedy, but from mining accidents back East.
BEWARE OF OLD MINES
After all, the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining estimates almost 20,000 mine openings exist statewide. So the division is teaming with two federal agencies - the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) - to spread its annual safety message: "Stay Out and Stay Alive." "This is a critical time of year because more people are getting out-of-doors and exploring in areas where there are abandoned mines, especially with the increase in [all terrain vehicle] use we're seeing," said Mark Mesch, administrator of the state's Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program. "Those old mining roads make perfect trails for those ATVs. Unfortunately, they often end up at abandoned mines." Nationally, abandoned mines claimed 23 lives last year. Three more people died in inactive mines, while four non-mine employees were killed in active mines. Of the victims, 27 were male. Almost 70 percent were between the ages of 20 and 50. Five victims were on ATVs or motorcycles and 17 drowned, while the rest succumbed to falls, hypothermia, asphyxiation and electrocution. The deadliest states were California and Kentucky, with three fatalities in each. Deaths were recorded in 21 states overall. "There are about 500,000 abandoned mines and another 14,000 active operations throughout the United States," said MSHA assistant secretary Richard Stickler. "Many of them contain hidden hazards and, for those not trained to work in mines, the outcome can be deadly. That's why we urge hikers, bikers, rock hounds and swimmers to stay out." To reinforce that message, Utah's Division of Oil, Gas and Mining emphasizes in educational materials it provides every year to Utah fourth-graders the dangers posed by abandoned mines. The state and BLM also have a video, "Stay Out and Stay Alive," which they distribute free upon request. Each year, Mesch's program tries to reduce the abandoned-mine hazard by identifying and closing the entrances of mines that pose significant public threats. This spring and early summer, crews hired by the division will close about 70 mine openings in and around Ophir Canyon on the west slope of the Oquirrh Mountains. This work is part of the "Serviceberry Project," which for the past couple of years has sealed openings left from the 1880s through early 1920s, when miners punctured many holes in the search for gold, silver, lead and zinc. Once the Serviceberry work is done, the division's attention will turn to Gold Hill, a mining district along the Nevada border south of Wendover. "This is a pretty big project," with nearly 200 mine openings set for closure, said Mesch. Most date to the late 19th century. The same precious metals were targeted. Division officials also will do inventory work in the Oquirrhs between Five Mile Canyon and Interstate 80, and in the hills around Mammoth and Eureka in Juab County, identifying openings for closure. Some mine openings are sealed with backfilled materials or stone walls. But many entrances are blocked with jail-like gates that prevent human access but give bats access to mines, where they often roost. About mine dangers Copies of a public safety video, "Stay Out and Stay Alive: Abandoned Mine Safety," are available from the: * U.S. Bureau of Land Management state office, Sharon Andrews, 801-539-4080, or Terry Snyder, 801-539-4026 * Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program, 801-538-5349, or MarkMesch@utah.gov * Educational information about abandoned mines also is available on the division's Web site, http://www.dogm.nr.state.ut.us/amr/AmrEdu.htm Return to Top of Page
6 UMA EDUCATION GOLF TOURNAMENT, RIVERBEND GOLF COURSE, Riverton, Utah 19 MSHA 8-hour training for Metal & Non-Metal Surface Miners, Utah Safety Council, 1574 West 1700 South,
23-25 PRB Coal Use Seminar, St. Louis, MO. For more info. visit: www.americancoalcouncil.org
23-24 UMA ANNUAL CONVENTION, GRAND SUMMIT HOTEL, Park City, Utah
8-10 Coal Market Strategies, Tucson, AZ. For more info. visit: www.americancoalcouncil.org
3-4 Coal Trading Conference. For more info. visit: www.americancoalcouncil.org
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