Oil Shale RD&D Lease Application Public Open House Scheduled at Western Park

Contact: Pete Sokolosky  (435) 781-4501

Vernal, Utah—April 25, 2006—The Vernal Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - United States Department of the Interior, announces an Oil Shale Research Development & Demonstration (RD&D) Lease Application Open House on May 17, 2006, from 6 to 8 pm at the Western Park in Vernal, Utah.

The Oil Shale Exploration Company (OSEC), applicant for a 160 acre oil shale RD&D lease, is planning to orient the public regarding their operational plans should a lease be issued. Representatives of both OSEC and the BLM will be in attendance to answer questions the public may have regarding three proposed phases of foreseeable RD&D operations.

The open house is being conducted in the interest of disclosure and keeping in the spirit of similar public meetings held in Colorado as part of the oil shale RD&D lease applications in northwestern Colorado on BLM administered lands.

The application area is in eastern Uintah County, about 2 miles south of the White River and 7.5 miles west of the Utah-Colorado border on the old White River oil shale mine site. An environmental assessment (EA) will be written on the matter of the proposed leasing and operations and that EA will be released for a public comment period.

For additional oil shale information access http://www.blm.gov.