Coal mining and oil and gas companies provide the natural resources essential to the way of life in Castle Valley, across Utah and throughout the United States.
The companies generally accept the responsibility to produce the resources in an environmentally friendly manner, noted the Utah Department of Oil, Gas and Mining. In fact, many of the companies operating in Utah exceed the regulatory requirements.
The Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining recognized five companies for extraordinary efforts with 2008 Earth Day Awards.
The awards were presented April 23 in the auditorium at the Utah Department of Natural Resources in Salt Lake City,.
“Our Earth Day Award program was created to recognize companies and individuals that go the extra mile in protecting the environment while developing natural resources,” explained boardmember Douglas Johnson. “These companies have demonstrated a willingness to do that while providing the minerals and energy resources that each of us uses every day. They are most deserving of this recognition.”
The award recipients included:
•Canyon Fuel Company’s Skyline and Sufco mines.
The coal production operations were recognized for wildlife habitat improvement projects.
Skyline improved cutthroat trout habitat in Carbon County’s Eccles Canyon, noted the state agency.
And Sufco took action to improve sage grouse habitat at a site in Sevier County.
•Denison Mines (USA) Corporation.
The company voluntarily repaired flood damage to a previously reclaimed site in Garfield County.
•Intrepid Potash.
The company has invested considerable time and resources in returning 7.9 million tons of salt to the Bonneville Salt Flats to improve to deteriorating surface of the landmark.
The site is famous for land speed records and as a location for movies and television.
•Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.
The company elected to drill multiple wells from two conjoined drill pads, and established three evaporation/recycle ponds for produced water.
The ponds were designed to allow use of the water for drilling operations thus reducing the need for fresh water, and both projects combined to reduce truck traffic, lessen their footprint in the area and minimize other environmental impacts.
•Questar Pipeline Company.
The company demonstrated an exceptional willingness to reach out to stakeholders during expansion of a pipeline project near Nine Mile Canyon in Carbon County.
The pipeline company’s cooperative efforts with concerned groups and agencies minimized visual impacts, pointed out DOGM officials.
The Utah DOGM board has presented Earth Day Awards since 1991.
The essential requirement for receiving an award is that a company, organization or individual must voluntarily perform work that significantly enhances or improves the environment even though such action is not required by law, explained the state’s natural resources department.
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