One more... This one scares me

Rawlins endorses uranium facility in Sweetwater County

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Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, February 4, 2010 10:45 pm | No Comments Posted

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RAWLINS — Rich Boberg of Ur-Energy thinks we are in the middle of a boom.

“Uranium exploration has gone through two fairly large booms in the ’50s and the ’70s ... and we’re kind of in the middle of one now,” said Boberg, the human resources and interim public relations manager of the mining company.

Ur-Energy is slated to open a uranium mining facility, called the Lost Creek ISR Project, just outside of Bairoil, in Sweetwater County. Boberg said he expects construction of the facility to begin toward the end of June.

“We’re just waiting for final licenses and permits to come through,” he said. “It’ll take about six months to construct.”

The site, Boberg said, was active in uranium exploration in the 1950s and 1970s.

Rawlins City Council approved a draft letter from City Manager Steve Golnar to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday in support of the project. The letter says that although the facility is to be in Sweetwater County, the majority of the work force and socio-economic impacts will be in Carbon County, specifically Rawlins, which is about 35 miles from Bairoil.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” Golnar said. “We don’t see most of the associated tax revenues, but we do see a benefit from long-term jobs in the community.”

About 60 full-time jobs are required for operation, jobs that should pay on average between $45,000 and $50,000 annually. An additional 140 temporary, ancillary jobs accompany the project.

The city of Rawlins is working with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, the Economic Development Corp. and the Carbon County Higher Education Center on job fairs with Ur-Energy, Golnar said.

Boberg said roughly 10 of the 60 full-time employees were in place and the remainder would most likely come from Carbon County.

“A few are working out of the Rawlins area right now,” Boberg said.

The Lost Creek ISR Project is Ur-Energy’s first in-situ uranium recovery project since its inception in 2004, although Boberg said employees of the Wyoming headquarters in Casper involved with the project have experience with the process.

He described the facility as essentially “a big water plant with a drilling production well surrounded by injection wells.”

Uranium is drawn from sandstone to the plant where it is processed and barreled as yellowcake. This product requires further refining to become processing pellets for use in nuclear facilities, Boberg said.

As for the drop location and tax benefits, Boberg said the suggestions would be taken into consideration.

“We’re definitely considering any option to help Carbon County out — we know Rawlins is the location the majority of our employees will be living,” he said.

Golnar said the socio-economic impacts of the facility would likely be minimal.

“The impact population in this instance isn’t that large,” he said. “We see this as a way of diversifying the economy. Obviously it’s still energy, but it’s a different kind of energy and seems to be a long-term, stable base of employment.”

Ah Hell

Governor finds agreement on power lines

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JEREMY PELZER Casper Star-Tribune | Posted: Saturday, February 6, 2010 12:00 am | No Comments Posted

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CHEYENNE — Gov. Dave Freudenthal said the Obama administration agrees with him in principle that federal lands should no longer be prioritized over private lands during the routing of electrical transmission lines.

Under federal law, power companies seeking to build transmission lines on public land must first examine alternative routes on private land.

During a White House meeting on energy with President Barack Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and 10 other governors Wednesday, Freudenthal raised the power line siting issue after hearing concerns last week from Lincoln County residents over the proposed route of new transmission lines through the area.

The lines would be part of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project, a proposed $2 billion, 1,150-mile power line that would carry electricity to customers in Wyoming, Idaho and other Western states. The project is a joint venture between Rocky Mountain Power and Idaho Power.

“Increasingly, people aren’t real fond of power lines,” Freudenthal said. “And they want to know why public lands aren’t equally available as private lands.”

Freudenthal said administration officials seemed receptive to his suggestion to change federal law to an “ownership-neutral” strategy in which federal, state and private lands would be considered equally during the power line siting process.

“At the 40,000-foot level, they think they agree,” Freudenthal said. “We’ll see how it works out when it gets down to the ground.”

Freudenthal said in particular that it’s “really hard to get anything sited” on U.S. Forest Service land, and he questioned whether any presidential administration would be able to change that mindset.

“My guess is the Forest Service looks at secretaries of ag and presidents and says, ‘Yeah, they come and go,’ ” Freudenthal said. “It’s always good to wait and see if people are able to follow through.”

Forest Service officials were not available for comment Friday afternoon, as federal offices in Washington, D.C., were closed ahead of a major snowstorm approaching the area.

Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen previously said that while the exact route of the Gateway West lines is still being worked out and the power companies have usually been able to find alternative routes on private land, the transmission lines will end up crossing some federal land.

Contact Jeremy Pelzer at jeremy.pelzer@trib.com or 307-632-1244.

Story Time

This is the real bandit country, he thinks as he sits beside his fire of tami and cedar. Tami from the bottom, cedar from high on the plateau where it was carried down stick by stick. No way to be seen down here. Only coming from above, or below, either direction only fifty feet wide. Easy enough to cover. It was a long day of cutting fence, filling cattleguards, and repainting jeep trails into unsurmountable obstacles. Let the bastards find their own way, he thinks, as he takes another drag of his cigarette, smoke stinging the eyes, stream of tobacco juice sizzling on the fire. Nobody here but us buzzards. Someone famous said that, someone he could not remember. His entire life he had lived in this general area, a native of the Rocky Mountains, and every time he returned to a place, he was disheartened. People crowding the trails he himself had pioneered. Well, himself, with the help of a few deer, and higher, big horn sheep. The four legged critters had been overrun by the two leg backpack carrying type. The plains where he used to ride an old mare bareback in the cold winter moonlight were overrun by housing developments and riggers. Damn the bastards for damning me, he thought. Sip on the coffee, the go juice, the substance on which all revolutions are fought upon. He often catches himself, when he gets too angry. He is no better than them. Driving his Jeep, climbing to the tops of long forgotten mountains. Damning himself for his own gains. Giving up his mortal body, to understand his immortal soul. The pop from dried wood echoes once, twice, four times all told, up and down the canyon. A moon bright enough to cast daylight is slowly working down the edge of the great formations. Somewhere, a turn or two above, rocks lose their mooring, begin to fall. Coyotes howl from one lip to the other. Looking for food. The coffee is almost gone, save the cup he will heat in the morning. Now, time for sleep. Dreaming of a better future.

Until next time.....

What I am Working On

Now, you tell me, does this place need defending? Shall we see this area damned? Will we stand idly by while this area is destroyed? This is my sanctuary, this is my church. This is more important than irrigation, this is more important than some damn project to store water. The desert has just enough water. Just too many people. And this, this is not really the desert. Only the foothills going into the desert. This place needs help!

A little bit of rambling.

This is an excerpt from the journal I keep when I go into the woods.Deep In The Backcountry AgainAn unknown ridge, except to the sheep, the bear, birds, bugs and me. Climber's won't come here, too loose. Hikers won't come here, too much climbing. Hunters, HA!, too far away from where a horse can take them. The waterfall is half a mile, straight across, maybe three by hiking. I have always been told I have billy goat legs, this is a good thing. From where I sit, it is a good thousand foot drop, to my right, only a couple feet away. Best not to siesta here. I am recharged, refreshed, renewed. It must be how a Catholic feels, after Confession. I would not know of that. All I know is the deep connectedness I feel up here. I am alone, but totally surrounded. The chirp of grasshoppers on wing verify this, and remind me.I do not know where I am, in terms of a map. But, I know I am looking DOWN into Sunlight Peak's massive bowl. The sound of the waterfall is quite inviting. Funny, even with all it's rage, all it's volume, it still peters to nothing by the time it hits the road. I can see the road if I look behind me. I choose not to. There is too much looking behind in life, and far too many roads. In this place, there is no road. Thank God for wilderness, or there would be a tram to the top of this place by now. What drives me out here? I could build my little cabin up here, and you would never see me again. Is that bad? Why do people seem so terrified of running away? Don't they realize there is so much more out there, and beyond what they can see from the road?It feels good to get away. I am free to sing aloud, talk to myself, contemplate the deepest thoughts I have, and the only complaint heard is the whistle from the wind. She is not too cynical today, though, she seems to be agreeing with me. She, along with some clouds she blows in, have made, MADE, the place I sit. I feel like they have carved out this nook in the rock just for me, just waiting until I came along.I want to push up further. My view of a high mountain is blocked by a goblin of gneiss. I could climb up the once I am leaning on, but with the long fall to the right, this shitty bonded rock is not quite convincing me to caress her. If a man in the mountain falls, and no one is around, does he still make a sound?So many ridgelines up here to explore. I, for one, have always been more fond of following the ridgelines, rather than go up the bottoms of the canyons. I like to be able to see off into the distance, rather than just in front of me. I will look back only so I know how to get down. Right now, where I sit, that is a good thing. I am completely cliffed out, and taking the wrong way back, we may be able to test our falling theory. Walking and climbing the gneiss, or kitty litter, is an art form. For every step up, you lose two down. Maybe that is why people don't like hiking in the Absarokees. The bedrock is another fun concept, and challenge. Usually found right where you don't want to fall, raw cliff will be covered by an inch or less of tiny, tiny ball bearings. You don't sink enough to get traction, and the ball bearings cause even the best boots to skitter. Sticks from the ground are helpful. Move quickly, and take deliberate steps, hoping you find deeper scree before you get cliffed out and cannot go back. If the kitty litter is bad, the cliffs themselves are worse. Low angle, slabby nightmares, where every hold breaks off. Climb fast friends, and pray you don't crumble a hold, while you are using it!

Coalbed Methane, and what goes with it......

From the Billings Gazette. At least the state is stepping in and saying ENOUGH!

Fidelity violating permit with water tests
By CLAIR JOHNSON Of The Gazette StaffA state department has started enforcement action against a coalbed methane producer for repeatedly failing toxicity tests on water it discharges into the Tongue River.Fidelity Exploration and Production Co. violated the toxicity provision in its discharge permit 132 times in a 2 1/2-year period, from April 2006 through August 2008. The company also failed to submit an adequate compliance plan, said John Arrigo, administrator of Montana Department of Environmental Quality's Enforcement Division.Fidelity produces methane from coal beds in the Decker area of the Powder River Basin. Ground water pumped to the surface through the drilling for natural gas is discharged untreated into the Tongue at 15 sites covered by the permit. Fidelity is a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc. and is based in Denver.Although tests are finding toxicity in the discharge water, that doesn't mean the Tongue River is being harmed, Arrigo said.

"We're don't have any dead fish," Arrigo said. "If we saw dead fish or saw effects on the receiving water, we would act more aggressively. But we don't see that."Rather, DEQ is seeing dead fleas - ceriodaphnia dubia fleas to be exact. The fleas are used in laboratory tests as an indicator of toxicity.Fidelity is required to test for toxics by taking samples of its discharge water and putting in organisms to see if they survive. In addition to the fleas, similar tests also are conducted on fathead minnows.Fidelity's tests using minnows have all passed. The tests using the fleas are failing, Arrigo said.While the toxicity failures have been consistent, pinpointing the cause has been difficult and expensive.Both DEQ and Fidelity officials said they are working to find a solution."It's complicated," Arrigo said. One test costs about $500 and Fidelity has done hundreds of them, he added.The problem has been that Fidelity hasn't been able to identify what is causing the toxicity. Despite a variety of tests on different discharges at different times, the results are inconsistent, Arrigo said.Joe Icenogle, a spokesperson for Fidelity, said the violations represent "a permit concern" and do not threaten or degrade the Tongue's water quality. "One of the things Fidelity, DEQ and everybody shares down there is the health of the Tongue River," he said.Fidelity has performed similar toxicity tests with fleas on Tongue River water samples taken six inches from its discharge points. "They've survived every time," Icenogle said.The tests require using nonnative fleas, Icenogle said. In some tests, the fleas are not surviving in undiluted discharge water, he said. Fleas start surviving when the coalbed discharge water is diluted 25 percent, he said."Our discharge into the Tongue River never makes up 75 percent of the total flow," he said. "It's less than 1 to 2 percent of the total flow of the river."Prior to April 2006, Fidelity passed its toxicity tests using another nonnative flea species, Icenogle said. DEQ then changed to a different flea species.Fidelity used to test once a year under a previous permit, Icenogle said. The company went to quarterly with the current permit. Because of the violations, the company has to test monthly.The company has hired water specialists, fisheries biologists and other consultants. There is a possibility that total dissolved solids may be the problem, Icenogle said, while researchers have pretty much eliminated methane in the water as the cause.There is a permit limit for total dissolved solids, and Fidelity is not exceeding it, Arrigo said.In the meantime, Fidelity is experimenting with running its discharge water through a holding tank before it enters the Tongue. The results have been variable, Icenogle said.Fidelity also submitted a compliance plan, but DEQ said it did not adequately describe how toxicity would be controlled. Failure to submit an adequate plan is a permit violation.Arrigo said in his enforcement letter Fidelity may have to develop a plan that addresses the overall quality of the wastewater, such as treating selected discharges. Also, some control options may require a permit modification.Icenogle said it was premature to say whether Fidelity would treat the discharge water. "We're working with them to reach a solution," he said of DEQ.DEQ has met with company officials and plans to meet again. DEQ is proposing the agency and Fidelity enter into a negotiated administrative order to resolve the violations. Penalties would be assessed but waived if Fidelity submits an adequate compliance plan and implements it in a timely manner, Arrigo said.The penalties would be used as leverage to require Fidelity to submit a more definite control plan in a tighter schedule, Arrigo said. "We want them to submit a better compliance plan. We're not interested in fining them a lot of money. We want them to do more faster. If they blow us off and say no, we have a variety of enforcement options."Contact Clair Johnson at cjohnson@billingsgazette.com or 657-1282.
Published on Monday, November 10, 2008.Last modified on 11/10/2008 at 4:42 pm

Wolf Meeting Thoughts

First off, if you ever have a chance to go to a wolf meeting, do so, just for the amazing uneducated dialogue that takes place. I could have watched FOX news and been more educated.


This meeting was simply on the proposed changes for the Wyoming Wolf Management plan, since it was shot down by Judge Molloy in Montana earlier this year. Basically there were four main issues in the judges ruling to overturn Wyoming's management plan. They included: Genetic Connectivity, Minimum Population Commitment, The Trophy Game Management Area, and Depredation Control. This new Emergency Plan is supposed to be a way to address these issues a little bit better, and wishfully thinking, allow Wyoming to regain control of it's gray wolf population.

Bill Rudd basically walked through the word changes, and described them as simply a firmer commitment to maintaining the number of packs, in case something catastrophic happens withing the Parks. They also threw in a new little blurb about the genetic connectivity issue:
To the extent practicable, the Commission is committed to managing the gray wolves in Wyoming so that genetic diversity and connectivity issues do not threaten the gray wolf population. This will be accomplished by encouraging the incorporation of effective migrants into the gray wolf population. Conservation measures will include, but are not limited to, working with other states to promote natural dispersal into and within the WTGMA (Wolf Trophy Game Management Area) and, if necessary, by relocation and translocation. You know, I passed many a college biology test by simply being able to bullshit through what I thought the professor wanted to hear. This is a fine example of that. There is no plan here, no groundbreaking revelations, just a desperate attempt to blow smoke up the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's collective skirt.

There is also some new wording on Lethal Take Permits. Chapter 21, Section 3(a) Chapter 21, Section 3(a) defines "chronic wolf depredation" as "a geographic area limited to a specific parcel of private land or a specific grazing allotment described on the permit within the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area where gray wolves have repeatedly (twice or more within a two month period immediately preceding the date on which the owner applies for a lethal take permit) harassed, injured, maimed or killed livestock or domesticated animals." Wolves taken under the authority of a lethal take permit shall be reported to the Department representative specified on the permit within 23 hours. Lethal take permits shall expire on December 31 of the year issued. However, lethal take permits shall be immediately suspended or cancelled if the Department determines further lethal control may result in the number of wolves in the WTGMA decreasing below 15 breeding pairs or 150 wolves, or below 7 breeding pairs outside the national parks and parkway. In addition, lethal take permits shall be immediately suspended or cancelled if the Department determines further lethal control may result in the re listing of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act. In either of these circumstances, non-lethal control actions shall be initiated to mitigate continued harassment, injury, maiming or killing of livestock or domesticated animals. Whew! My fingers hurt after that, and what exactly does all that say? Basically if you are Joe Shmoe rancher, and you have evidence of wolves killing animals, you can apply for this permit that will allow you to shoot them on sight. After you kill your two wolves, you can reapply for another permit. Now, there is also a state law, pertaining to all predators, that allows for Joe Schmoe rancher to blast an animal in the act, or even thinking of the act "as a reasonable person would suspect" of hurting their livestock. Add on top of all that, the control measures that the Feds and State will be doing, and it is open season.

Predator status is still a go, one of the main hang ups with a lot of people, myself included. Outside of the WTGMA, people would still be allowed to blast any wolf they saw, for any reason, unless the number of packs falls below 15, where the Feds would step back in and take control. With the changes to the law, you would no longer be required to turn over a pelt and skull, only report your name and address, the date of the kill, the sex of the wolf, and a location. And, this makes me laugh quite hard. The Department may also seek the person's cooperation in obtaining any additional information relevant to wolf management, as warranted. If someone is out shooting wolves for pleasure, what do you think his response is going to be on management? This is not rocket science people!

A fairly large issue was brought up, concerning the word "predator". That, as already stated, is a major hang up with the judge in Montana. So why not remove that word? I have my own theories on that, but the way it has been pushed through is simple. The state has to have this plan into the USFWS by November 28th. The Wyoming Commission does not meet until November 17th and 18th, and the State Legislature does not meet until February 14th. The word predator is in law, and can only be repealed by Legislature. Now, a Representative from the Wyoming Government was there, and he said, something to the effect of "Well you people have already been liberal with your Plan under the law, why don't you just remove it and call it good." No one wants to remove that particular word, it is what has held Wyoming up this whole time. If that word were removed, this would go through.

So, what does this mean, long and short? It means victory for people who would like to keep wolf management in the hands of the Federal Government. Wyoming has had it's chance to change the laws, remove predator status, and be cooperative, and they have blown it. They have made their bed, now it is time for them to sleep in it. As for what it means for Wyoming? I doubt we will be re-gaining control in a timely manner. The wording in this emergency plan does not address the issues of litigation proposed by Molloy, and, in fact, adds to the issues in certain places.

Public comments are due in the office of the Wyoming Game and Fish by November 10th. Your comment must be in their hands on this date.
The address to write to is:

Wolf Plan Comments
Attn: Bea Pepper
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
5400 Bishop Blvd
Cheyenne, WY 82006

The next planned meeting in Cody is December 16th.