RMFU Applauds Oil Shale Announcement from Interior

RMFU President Kent Peppler praised Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s announcement today that Interior will look closely at water issues and agricultural impacts as the discussion of oil shale development moves forward. “Secretary Salazar described water use as an essential issue in the oil shale debate, and we couldn’t agree more,” Peppler said. “Most of the oil shale lands are on the Colorado River basin, which has been over-allocated from the beginning of the interstate compact. We need to know how much water oil shale developers need, where they expect to get it, and what condition it will be in when they are through with it. Agriculture is the cornerstone of Colorado’s economy and the basis for America’s food security. The secretary understands this, and we urge him to keep it in his thoughts as we move forward slowly on oil shale development.”