Number: 2009-08
WHEREAS, oil shale production is dramatically more CO2 intensive than conventional hydrocarbon production and even the best emerging technologies would result in 20-45% more global warming pollution per gallon of fuel produced compared to conventional gasoline; and
WHEREAS, the vast majority of oil shale is located in arid states with limited water resources and oil shale production may require up to five gallons of water to produce each gallon of fuel, meaning that a viable commercial oil shale industry could consume enough water to support two cities the size of Denver (more than 315 million gallons of water daily); and
WHEREAS, leasing of lands for oil shale production puts at risk millions of acres of wildlife habitat throughout the Rocky Mountain West important to hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts, including the Green River Formation, which is home to some of the most valuable wildlife habitat in the United States, and where most of America’s oil shale is found; and
WHEREAS, production of oil shale has other adverse environmental impacts, including acid and metal drainage into surface-water and groundwater, increased erosion, and particulate matter air pollution;
WHEREAS, 1.5 tons of spent material can be produced for every barrel of oil, resulting in millions of tons of material generated each year by a commercial oil shale operation; and
WHEREAS, the spent material produced by oil shale is very likely to contaminate ground and surface waters with salts and arsenic, affecting not only wildlife, habitats and the human population, but also water quality for millions of down stream users in the greater Colorado River drainage basin;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled April 30 – May 2, 2009, in Pittsburgh, PA, calls upon the Administration and Congress to take necessary steps to halt the commercial oil shale leasing on public lands until the technology is developed to ensure that the production of transportation fuels from oil shale does not result in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional oil production, threaten limited water resources in arid regions, or impair important wildlife habitat, sensitive species, and public recreation access; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on the Administration to ensure that all leasing of public lands for oil shale research and development includes sufficient measures to avoid, minimize, and fully mitigate significant impacts on important wildlife habitat, sensitive species, public recreation access, and limited water resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on Congress to end subsidies and other incentives for oil shale development, including those for refinery upgrades to process oil shale and other high-carbon feedstocks.