Danny McWilliams – Colbert County Extension
TUSCUMBIA – As new methods have advanced for rendering petroleum products from oil sands, interest in Alabama petroleum resources is bubbling to the top. But don’t look for a lot of activity tomorrow. The State’s not ready yet.
The big issue at Tuesday evening’s meeting, “When will Alabama be ready to render this resource?”, has not been decided. Nearly 200 people from Northwest Alabama gathered at the Roundhouse to hear a cadre’ of experts discuss the emerging oil sands industry. A large part of the audience, when asked by this reporter, was skeptical to the idea that extraction of the resource could be done in an environmentally safe manner.
Jeff Kitchens – Alabama Department of Environmental Management
Representatives from the State Oil and Gas Board of Alabama , the Alabama Geological Survey. and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management manned the podium. They were there to reassure the audience that indeed, if oil sands resource mining is allowed, it will only be done with legislative assurance that the process will be environmentally safe. As of now, there are no provisions in Alabama that allow for oil sands mining. And that was the point.
Jeff Kitchens – Alabama Department of Environmental Management
The State Oil and Gas Board has been granted regulatory authority over this new industry. State Geologist, Nick Tew explained that this resource is quite different from the well-discussed Canadian tar-sands, the extraction of which requires vast quantities of water. Alabama tar-sands are quite different, much like roadway asphalt, the extraction of which requires a different technology. That type of technology is still being worked out.
Denise Hills – Director of the Energy Investigation Program for the Alabama Geological Survey
Before any extraction permits would be issued, the State will have to institute a detailed set of requirements which would be designed to protect the environment. Interestingly enough, the geologists and engineers from the State all seemed to project the same thought, to wit: The environmental requirements could conceivably be strict enough that extraction of this resource could be so expensive as to render the process unfeasible. According to the experts, it is simply unknown at this time if Alabama tar-sands will ever be extracted.
This was the first public meeting. The officials were clear to point out that the Public will have many opportunities to give input to the pending rulemaking and legislative process.
You may read our previous story and view a map of Alabama Tar Sands by clicking this LINK.
