Powder River Basin energy development

[Oak]

What do you guys who know this area think? Should we be trying to save it, or write it off as a sacrifice area? It sounds like good mule deer winter range, but I assume it's must be a little too sparse???

Scramble for energy pits drillers, ranchers
-Landowners in Wyoming say efforts to extract methane undermine their rights

By Mike Soraghan
Denver Post Washington Bureau
GILLETTE, Wyo. -

"Up to 3,000 new oil and natural-gas wells will sprout from the Powder River Basin each year as the Bush administration's push for increased energy production sweeps across the sparse stretch of rangeland.

That push will also bring 29,000 miles of new roads, more than 20,000 miles of pipeline and 30,000 miles of utility lines to a 12,500- square-mile area straddling the Wyoming-Montana border."

Full (long) story, pictures, etc.

Oak

 

[Oak]

Jeez guys, I'm gonna start feeling like Gibson.

Here's an update on yesterday's article. My favorite quote from the story, by an exploration company exec.: "Their actions are contrary to the best interests of the people of Montana, the environment, the tax base, and the state's business climate."

Gas-drilling plans forced to pause

Powder River Basin ranchers, activists demand more data on projects' impact

By Mike Soraghan
Denver Post Washington Bureau

The alliance between ranchers and environmentalists seeking stricter regulation of coal-bed methane drilling in the Powder River Basin has won a pair of decisions that put a hiccup into Bush administration plans to speed energy development in the West.

Montana Bureau of Land Management director Marty Ott earlier this month halted progress on an 85-well Fidelity Exploration and Production Co. project near the Wyoming border. He demanded more information from the local BLM about how water pumped up during drilling will affect irrigation and ranching.

Full story here

Oak

 

[1_pointer]

The problem I have with these types of issues is I don't agree with having sacrifice areas on public lands. To me a sacrifice area prevents future generations from having a choice in the management. The amount of proposed roads sounds staggering and sort of depressing to me. I would rather pay increased costs to help futher research on less intrusive methods of extraction.