High Plains Economic Development District
1560 Johnston Street P.O. Box 988 Wheatland, WY 82201
Phone: 307-331-0012
Fax: 1-866-393-6776
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 20, 2010
CONTACT: Anja Bendel, Executive Director of the High Plains Economic Development District
Phone: (307) 331-0012
E-mail: anja.bendel@gmail.com
High Plains Economic Development District presents “1st Annual Southeast Wyoming Oil Shale Seminar”
- MP3 Audio Quote by Anja Bendel, Executive Director of the High Plains Economic Development District (2010_0820_AnjaBendel_seminars)
- Southeast Wyoming Oil Shale Seminars Invitation (PDF)
WHEATLAND – The High Plains Economic Development District, which coordinates economic development in southeast Wyoming, will host the first annual Southeast Wyoming Oil Shale Seminar Aug. 31 in Cheyenne and Sept. 1 in Torrington and Wheatland.
Oil exploration has begun in southeast Wyoming, northern Colorado, and western Nebraska with companies examining the viability of extracting oil from the Niobrara shale formation. The goal of the seminar is to provide information to policymakers and the general public about what is happening, what industry needs and challenges are, and what communities can anticipate might happen if exploration continues.
The seminar will have speakers from industry, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, and other impacted counties to discuss technology, timeline, environmental concerns, and socioeconomic impacts that can be expected from oil exploration. The seminars are free, open to the public and available in three locations:
Cheyenne: Aug. 31, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
LCSD Admin Building Auditorium, 2810 House Avenue
Torrington: Sept. 1, 11:00 am – 1:30 p.m.
Lincoln Community Complex Gym, 436 East 23rd Avenue
*Box lunch can be purchased for $5 or bring your own
Wheatland: Sept. 1, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Wheatland High School Auditorium, 1207 13th Street
The State has already held two auctions for leases in the area that brought in record prices, and private landowners are seeing similar activity. Southeast Wyoming has not seen much activity in mineral extraction in its past, so many people in the area are looking for more information and wanting to know what they might expect to see.
“People know that there will be impact if this oil is economical, but they are interested in the details: where is the formation, what is fracking, what are the environmental concerns, what is industry doing, and how will this affect my community? This speaker series will begin to address those questions and will give a framework for the activity,” said Anja Bendel, Executive Director of the High Plains Economic Development District.
As the District covers the four counties in southeast Wyoming, Albany, Goshen, Laramie, and Platte, it is working together with the local economic development organizations, the counties, and Building the Wyoming We Want: the High Plains Initiative to bring the speakers to the area.
“The shale doesn’t pay attention to county lines or even state lines. This affects the whole area and we are taking a regional approach,” Bendel said.
Bendel anticipates a healthy turnout, and has also heard from contacts in Nebraska and Colorado who are interested in attending.
This District event is being sponsored by Goshen County Economic Development, Noble Energy, and Platte, Laramie, and Goshen counties, in partnership with Cheyenne LEADS, Platte County Economic Development, and Building the Wyoming We Want: The High Plains Initiative.
ABOUT THE HIGH PLAINS ECONOMIC DISTRICT
The District covers the four counties in southeast Wyoming, Albany, Goshen, Laramie, and Platte. It was created in 1996 with Platte and Goshen Counties and expanded in 2002 to include Laramie and Albany counties. The District is federally recognized through the Economic Development Administration, and its mission is to enhance and regionalize the economic development efforts in the four counties through planning, coordination, advocacy, and resource development.
TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO QUOTE: ANJA BENDEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HIGH PLAINS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
“PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE IMPACT IF THIS OIL IS ECONOMICAL, BUT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS: WHERE IS THE FORMATION, WHAT IS FRACKING, WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, WHAT IS INDUSTRY DOING, AND HOW WILL THIS AFFECT MY COMMUNITY? THIS SPEAKER SERIES WILL BEGIN TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS AND WILL GIVE A FRAMEWORK FOR THE ACTIVITY. THE SHALE DOESN’T PAY ATTENTION TO COUNTY LINES OR EVEN STATE LINES. THIS AFFECTS THE WHOLE AREA AND WE ARE TAKING A REGIONAL APPROACH. I ANTICIPATE A HEALTHY TURNOUT, AND HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM CONTACTS IN NEBRASKA AND COLORADO WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING.”
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