Colorado and other Western states will get a little more time to study a federal plan for commercial oil-shale development but not enough to satisfy Gov. Bill Ritter.
In a letter obtained Tuesday by The Denver Post, the Interior Department told Ritter and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal that they would have only an additional two weeks to review the plan, although the governors requested a 120-day extension.
“We are disappointed that our request was not granted and regret that the time provided will not allow for a comprehensive evaluation,” said Evan Dreyer, a spokesman for Ritter. “We believe that nothing is of higher importance than assuring that oil-shale development proceeds in a responsible manner.”
Colorado, Utah and Wyoming will have four weeks, from May 15 to June 12, to assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of commercial oil-shale development.
Mike King, Colorado Department of Natural Resources deputy director, said that’s not long enough to determine how the extraction of oil shale could affect air quality and water resources, particularly since researchers are using untested technology.
