GOV. RITTER STATEMENT ON DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR’S OIL SHALE REFORMS

Gov. Bill Ritter issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Department of Interior’s oil shale program reforms:

“Secretary Salazar has wisely decided to institute reforms in the second round of the Research, Development & Demonstration program. Constraints on the size of leases and due diligence requirements are key parts of the Secretary’s new approach to focusing on questions that must be answered before oil shale research can transition to commercial development.


“ Colorado has always supported a robust RD&D process to research and evaluate the technologies that could be used to develop oil shale and to better understand the environmental impacts.

“The potential for oil shale development in Colorado , and the economic opportunity that it represents, is huge. But the prospect of commercial-scale activities raises significant questions about how oil shale can be successfully integrated into our state’s economy and how we can protect the state’s environment, water and communities.

“We’re also pleased to learn that the Secretary has asked the IG’s office to investigate the details surrounding the amendment of the leases in January. We had concerns about the process by which these amendments were developed and by a number of their terms.”