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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.
With technological issues still leaving development of the resources in question, industry has taken little action since then. The BLM called its new environmental study "a fresh look at what public lands are best suited" for development.
"The BLM remains committed to a thoughtful, orderly and responsible oil shale development program," BLM Director Bob Abbey said in a statement.
The government will take public comments about the program and is conducting seven scoping meetings in the three states. The first three are in Utah, starting with an April 26 meeting at Salt Lake City's Little America Hotel.
Brandon Loomis —
Oil shale public meetings
P All meetings run 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.
April 26 • Salt Lake City, Little America Hotel, 500 S. Main St., Wyoming Conference Room.
April 27 • Price, Holiday Inn, 838 Westwood Blvd.
April 28 • Vernal, Uintah Basin Applied Technology Center, 450 N. 2000 West, Multi Use Rooms 1, 2 and 3.
April 29 • Rock Springs, Wyo., BLM Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North.
May 3 • Rifle, Colo., Colorado Mountain College, West Garfield Campus, 3695 Airport Road, Main Auditorium.
May 4 • Golden, Colo., Denver West Marriott, 1717 Denver West Blvd.
May 5 • Cheyenne, Wyo., Holiday Inn, 204 W. Fox Farm Road.