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John Hollenhorst reporting A fierce battle is brewing over dust in eastern Utah's famous Nine Mile Canyon. Archaeology experts say road dust from hundreds of gas industry trucks is doing serious damage to ancient rock art, just as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is deciding if the gas drilling should be expanded.
The state promotes Nine Mile Canyon as "The World's Longest Art Gallery." "I mean, it's world renowned because you have thousands and thousands of rock art images right next to the road," archaeologist Jerry Spangler said.
If that ancient art could breathe, critics say it would choke on dust. Trucks use the canyon road to get to nearby natural gas drilling projects. Critics say they've counted as many as 340 a day, a truck every two minutes.
Dust covers much of the rock art and, according to critics, is doing damage. "Some individuals who live in the canyon, own property there, say the dust never goes away," Spangler said.
The Bill Barrett Energy Company claims the dust is minimal and better than it used to be. They try to suppress dust with magnesium chloride treatments and 500 barrels of water a day. "The companies involved have spent a lot of time and money mitigating those impacts that we do create," said Lee Peacock, president of the Utah Petroleum Association.
But a new scientific study about to be released says the magnesium chloride salt itself is doing "alarming" damage by corroding rock art.
However, supporters of the project say it not only brings in $200 million a year to the state, it provides 12 percent of the natural gas we burn in Utah. "One of the reasons that Utah has the lowest gas rates in the lower 48 states is because we have a local supply of natural gas," Peacock said.
"You have a resource here that is world famous, and it's being sacrificed in the name of natural gas development. I think we need to bring some balance back into the equation," Spangler said.
About 100 gas wells have been drilled. The proposed expansion could add 700 more.
The BLM will issue an Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed expansion Friday. One rock-art enthusiast is already threatening to take the issue to court.
