Melons, not oil | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The announced construction of a new oil refinery in Green River raises questions. What would be the source of crude oil, and whence will it be dispatched? Green River is hardly an industrial center, but is noted for its famous melon fields and as the gateway to Utah's scenic red rock parks.

A few years ago, Gov. Gary Herbert had plans to install natural gas refueling stations to service the trucking along I-70. Has that been accomplished?

Utah's oil and gas are extracted largely from the Uintah Basin, whence it is trucked or piped to Salt Lake City refineries. The heavy trucking along U.S. 40 and I-80 has become problematic. Air pollution in both Uintah Basin and in Salt Lake City is causing Utah to be out of compliance with EPA standards.

Would not a refinery in the industrial Uintah Basin be a more logical location than in Green River?

Naomi Franklin

Salt Lake City