CO2 belongs closer to heaven than hell
Written for the High Plains Journal link
Do you know how many times I talk to folks from around the nation who have “driven through” Nebraska yet have not really been to Nebraska? Every time that happens, I learn that they have simply driven east or west on I-80. If you have not driven Hwy 2 through the Sandhills or Hwy 275 through the hills of Northeast Nebraska, you think that Nebraska is flat because you have only driven the Platte River valley, an easy choice for construction of an interstate. For a dozen years I have driven through Wyoming on I-80 and stopped at Rock Springs but really only knew what I saw from the truck stop. For a livestock guy, this place looks like desolate, tough, dry country. While it is that, I had the opportunity to address the Sweetwater County Commissioners at their August meeting and I see the county in a whole new light.
For the record, Rock Springs has the largest population but Green River is the county seat. I recognize that most people who travel through or perhaps go to the National High School Finals Rodeo relate more with Rock Springs but that age old rivalry was settled before 1900 with Green River getting the final nod as the county seat. This land mass is the 10,641 square miles, making it the largest county of 23 in Wyoming; larger that most of the New England states and about the same size as Massachusetts. Even with all that land, and this is what really hits me tough, 73.18% is owned by the Government. The largest amount of that, 65%, is owned by the Bureau of Land Management but the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife both claim ownership in this very interesting county.
So, just like my Nebraska analogy, when you get to see a look under the hood of the resources available and utilized, Sweetwater County WY is very important to the nation’s domestic security especially through mining of minerals. The history of Sweetwater County has always been about coal, seeing how the early days of transportation were so dependent on railroads and this county was dead-center for the building of the transcontinental railroad. The coal mined there was essential for fueling the train activity.
Today, 67% of the county’s revenue comes from the mining industry which includes coal, oil and gas, particularly natural gas. Sweetwater County is also considered the Trona Capital of the World. As it turns out, back in the day this area was home to a huge lake that made Salt Lake look modest. What that lake left behind is a residue called trona. I had to ask what trona was. Trona, also called soda ash, dates back 5000 years o when the Egyptians used the mineral to make glass containers. The Green River valley still does that today.
The interesting part of the County Commission meeting was that the mineral assessment for the county would most likely be $18 million lower for the upcoming fiscal year, meaning a revenue reduction to the county of about $70,000. While this is not significant on its own, in the real world it spoke to me about the greater concern that results over time with inflated cost of living values while the resources being recovered are going down. Most likely this reduction of mineral valuations in Sweetwater County has everything to do with the improper demonization of coal and we are all going to pay the price for that one day very soon.
In closing, I was asked to address the County Commission because the largest landowner in the county and nation, the Bureau of Land Management, has announced that 600,000 acres of Southwest Wyoming is targeted for CO2 entombment. That’s right! Uncle Sam wants to take CO2 from Great Plains ethanol plants, put in a pipeline and pump it to Wyoming to bury it. My message was to make clear the dangers that come along with the unproven theory that burying CO2 can be safely completed. Just as the resource rich Sweetwater County has been blessed with minerals, CO2 is a vital resource as a plant food and soil amendments in the continuation of the cycle of life in the Great Plains. This county board of 5 individuals did not appear to be confused about the fact that CO2 belongs closer to heaven than hell and that’s where it needs to stay.