Utah Austerity – Strip Mining Bryce Canyon for Cheap “Federal Coal” Exports to China

Utah Austerity – Strip Mining Bryce Canyon for Cheap “Federal Coal” Exports to China

Is Coal Hollow Alton Project via Federal Seizure of Utah’s Public Domain and Strip Mining Bryce Canyon Designed for Cheap Coal in Overseas Markets?

Have the Governors of Utah Sold out Their State and Nation for a World Nation State? …Under federal coal laws and federally leased mining rights, traffic rights, pollution rights forced on our alpine mountain towns, the citizens of Utah and one of the state’s most prized treasures (10 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park).

All this from the Federally regulated energy industry which prevented local public municipality independence by shelving Utah natural gas and clean coal power plants and mining permits in the area. Personal local clean energy independence in our mountains violates environmental law by dirty coal ten miles from Bryce to be shipped out-of-state and burned in dirty slave run Chinese furnaces.

Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert asked regulators to expedite Alton permit. In fact, he made the request shortly after he met with the mine’s developers and his campaign received a check from them for $10,000.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is primed for a possible run for president in 2012. An interview the ambassador to China gave to Newsweek magazine appears to be fueling more speculation.

The Newsweek interview indicates it is possible that Huntsman will join the race. Since being named by President Barack Obama as U.S. ambassador to China, Huntsman has been tight-lipped about his political future.

Under these two Governors the Alton Mine has come into being. Under their Governorships the Federal Government has made available “Federal Coal” that will not power Utah Generators or profit the people of Utah but will rob them of a commodity that is the State’s Sovereign Domain and Authority. The fact is that this Commodity of “Federal Coal” that rightfully belongs to the people of Utah is probably going to be have to be burned in another country (china most likely) because the U.S. doesn’t have plants that use such low-grade coal.

Once it is destroyed it will be gone forever. Never to be transformed or Enhanced into something permanent, increased and ‘worth’ the mining that will be around for generations to benefit from as well but instead this Land will be destroyed and eternally lost.

Sovereign Utah – My Temple and Bryce

 

Energy can now be created with zero long-term impact with In-Stream Hydro, Hydro, Wind, Solar, Thermal, Hemp Bio Mass and Fuel Cell, but these are blocked by the Federal Energy Law, Corporate Law, BLM Management Law, etc for protection of the economy, employment, trade, environment, water ways, etc.

Their alternative is to dig Coal that will leach oil into the top of the mountain and all winter runoff down hill destroying all the water ways while burning the irreplaceable earth.

The point being many, many cleaner more sustainable ways are available to power our economy and enrich our lives. We no longer have to sacrifice our iconic landscape and Precious Complex Valuable Mineral Deposits in order to generate energy; Under Federal Regulation and Rulership instead we are forever destroying the landscape and selling the value of our Land, our Children’s Home and Future.

In the Washington Post article; Utah Approves a Mine Next to Bryce Canyon for Coal America Doesn’t Need

“The truth is we don’t need this coal. The developers claim they have a contract with a Utah utility, but they won’t disclose which one. It’s questionable whether local utilities even have the need for such sizeable quantities of coal. Instead, rumors indicate that a lot of the coal will be hauled to a West Coast port for shipping, possibly overseas. If the company is so confident there is a market for its product, it should name its buyers.

The West has a long history of outside companies extracting local resources, selling them elsewhere, and leaving nearby communities to clean up the mess often at taxpayer expense. No matter what they might tell you, there is no reclamation plan that can return on open pit mine to a natural, wild state. Once that untamed spirit is gone, it’s gone for good

Some places are simply too special to industrialize. Bryce country is one of them.”

– Robert Redford

Rocky Mountain Power is owned by PacifiCorp, owned by MidAmerican Energy Holdings, owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway a Multinational Corporation.

NERCO is owned by Kennecott Utah Copper, owned by Rio Tinto. The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne.

Through this Process Utah is primarily owned by Foreigners totally controlled by the Federal Government and doesn’t have a single Municipal Utility or locally owned corporate charter industry.

Ultimately, the Alton Coal Mine is not only about Bryce National Canyon or Utah’s wildlands. It is about Federal Authority Versus State and Peoples Authority Over the Re-Public Domain and Right to Lease and Sell the Commodities, the Land of the Citizen’s against their will.

We could continue to allow the Federal Government to Claim every coal seam they come across as “Federal Coal”, no matter how close it is to our sacred lands.

But if we Restore the States and People’s Authority of Their Public Domain, Reclaim the Local CAFR accounts, Corporate Charter Authority and removed the policies that prevent local clean energy ownership in bonded municipalities under the Corporate Patented Protected and Federally regulated sources like, hydro, wind, thermal, solar and fuel cell; we will not need to burn any coal or have Federal Energy Regulations and Ownership of the Land.

Federal Coal or Utah Coal that is the question.

Federal Coal Energy or Free Local Re-Public Energy

A river of clean water or a river of filthy trucks

-sovereignthink

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 Notes:

Federal Government Goal and the Purpose of Alton Coal Tract Lease

To Make available for mining Federal Coal reserves in the Alton Lease By Application tract miles from Bryce. The Alton Tract is Approximately 3,600 acres with an estimated 46 million tons of in-place Federal coal.

This conforms with the Zion Management Framework Plan (MFP) of 1981.

The potential to recover commercially viable quantities of subsurface coal for corporate export is consistent with Federal mining activities for coal.

Federal Government Created Market Need: In the U.S. 90% of Coal consumption is for electricity generation. Between 2004 and 2030 total electricity sales in the U.S. are expected to increase by 50%. By 2030 Coal-fired plants are expected to account for 57% of all electricity generation, up from 50% in 2004.

Federal Regulations Claiming Authority of “Federal Coal”

The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (MLA) requires that all public lands not specifically closed to leasing be open to lease for the exploration and development of mineral resources.

BLM Statutory Mandates and Authority Governing Federal Coal Leasing

Mineral Leasing Act 1920 (MLA)

Federal Coal Leasing Act Amendments of 1976

Surface Coal Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977

Leasing by Application Regulations, 43 Code of Federal Regulations 3425.1

Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (BLM’s multiple-use mandate)

Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA)

Coal Companies have been trying unsuccessfully to produce Entirely Local Energy from Clean Coal Power Plants Justify Mining this area for decades, though the low-grade quality of it’s coal is only suitable for Asian Rim Markets. 

History timeline of Coal Hollowing attempts at Alton

1965 – Federal Coal leases acquired by Nevada Electric Investment Company (NEICO)

1980 – Allen-Warner Valley Energy Project constructs Warner Valley Station and Harry Allen power stations. Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andru eastern portion of NEICO lease area unsuitable for surface mining western portion remain open for leasing.

Morrison and Knudsen commissioned to evaluate coal supply alternatives for power, including Alton Coal deposit.

1981 – Utah international (UII) commissioned to be mine operator.

1982 – UII applied for a mining reclamation Plan (MRP) from Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (DOGM) and Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM).

1987 – DOGM determines UII’s MRP administratively complete.

Allen-Warner valley Local Clean Coal Project is Shelved, evaluation of UII’ MRP halted.

1995 – The first General Electric 7EA combustion turbine has a maximum winter output of about 84 megawatts and was completed. The second unit includes the DLN1+ dry low-NOx combustion system and began serving customers in 2006.

1998 – All of NEICO’s leases reverted back to Federal Government (BLM) control.

2004 – Alton Coal Development LLC submits a Lease by Application (LBA) to mine federal coal near Laton, Utah.

2006 – Alton Coal Development LLC applies to DOGM for an MRP to mine fee coal on private lands near Alton, Utah.

Notice of Intent (NOI) by BLM to prepare an EIS for the Lease by Application (LBA)

2007 – Public scoping comment period ended 

2009 – Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining approved the MRP mining permit for the Alton Coal Strip Mine.

Environmental groups, including Utah Chapter of Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Natural Resources Defense Council filed a petition with UDOGM to stop the proposed strip mine.

2010 – Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Upholds the Alton Coal Strip Mine MSR mining permit.