Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Snowpack: San Juans drying out From the Montrose Daily Press (Kati O'Hare): "At Mesa Lakes on the Grand Mesa, snowpack is at 106 percent of normal (30-year average for the state). Last year, snowpack at this time on the mesa was at 114 percent of normal. Vail Mountain is at 123 percent of normal, compared to last year's 117 percent of normal. Ramey said that the San Juan Mountains did well through December. However, the area has 'dried out considerably' in January. Red Mountain's snowpack is at 129 percent of normal, compared to last year's 157 percent. Ramey said that the patterns are favoring the Park Range near Steamboat Springs, dumping a considerable amount of snow in that area." "colorado water" 6:07:33 PM     Infrastructure: Health risks From the Detroit Free Press: "Replacing thousands of miles of old, rusting and leaking pipelines -- sometimes 100 years old -- is essentially a local and state issue. But cumulatively, it is a serious national problem, requiring major investment, planning and construction on a national scale. Clean water is essential to our lives. Ensuring its future availability should be a priority for the new head of Department of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, and the heads of Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. So far, we have been lucky. But a recent outbreak of [salmonella] in Colorado is a reminder that even in states with the most impeccable safety records, breakdowns are occurring with growing frequency. Vigilance is essential to prevent a recurrence of waterborne diseases such as typhoid and cholera that claimed so many thousands of lives in the past." "cc" 5:33:04 PM     Energy policy -- Oil shale: Bush administration to lift rule prohibiting exploration in Wyoming and Utah The Bush administration is asking for oil shale exploration proposals in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, according to a report from the Associated Press via Examiner.com. From the article: It is offering energy companies another chance to show they can make a profit on public land in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced it is soliciting a second round of proposals for oil shale demonstration projects on 1.9 million acres in the three states. Projects would be limited to 640 acres per company, but the land could be converted to a commercial lease if the technologies proved successful. [...] A spokesman for one oil company said production from shale deposits will not necessarily rely on coal plants. Given current trends, electricity generated by natural gas, wind or solar is just as likely an energy source in 10 or 15 years, said Tracy Boyd, a spokesman for Shell Exploration and Production Co., which holds three of the six permits for the current demonstration projects. That's the timeframe in which Shell estimates oil shale production will become commercially viable, he said. Coyote Gulch has been pushing solar for oil shale energy needs. The process can probably stand an interrupted supply and the U.S. should not add to the carbon footprint of a dirty energy source. More Coyote Gulch coverage here. "cc" 5:09:24 PM

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