Will the Uinta Basin Railway Derail America's Climate Change Efforts? (comment)

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The Uinta Basin is home to a diverse set of creatures from endangered black-footed ferrets to plants found nowhere else in the world, such as the Uinta Basin hookless cactus and Graham’s Bearded Tongue.
But the basin also sits atop pockets of crude oil and natural gas, which are being mined: to transport these fossil fuels to the Gulf Coast, local governments and oil companies plan to invest up to $4.5 billion to build a new railroad through it.
Although the project has been approved, construction has not begun and it is not too late for US President Biden to keep his climate promises and stop the new railway, a new op-ed claims.
This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

The Uinta Basin, named after the Ute tribe, is located in northeastern Utah and western Colorado, about 200 miles from Salt Lake City. Streams from the Uinta Mountains roll through the basin to a tributary of the Colorado River—supplying water to 40 million people throughout the drought-stricken West. Plants found nowhere else in the world, such as the Uinta Basin hookless cactus and Graham’s Bearded Tongue, flourish in the Uinta Basin. The ecosystem is also home to endangered species such as sage grouse and black-footed grouse.

By all accounts, the Uinta Basin is a beautiful ecological haven. Unfortunately, it sits on top of pockets of crude oil and natural gas, which are being extracted. To transport crude oil to the Gulf Coast where it will be refined, local governments and oil companies plan to invest $1.5 to $4.5 billion to build a new railroad through the basin.

Trail inside the High Uintas Wilderness Area. Photo by Brandon Rasmussin via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). — View of the Christmas meadows in the High Uintas Wilderness Area. Photo by Brandon Rasmussin via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

The Uinta Basin Railway is a proposed 88-mile stretch of rail tracks that would blast through mountains, divert 443 streams, bulldoze through threatened sage-grouse habitat, appropriate private property and even fragment a roadless area of the Ashley National Forest. According to the US Forest Service Chief, “a railroad does not constitute a road.” The railway is estimated to quadruple the region’s oil production from 85,000 to 350,000 barrels of oil per day – resulting in a Iincrease in air pollution, noise pollution, habitat degradation and greater risk of water pollution, train derailments and forest fires. The region already suffers from chronic air pollution, falling below federal standards for ozone pollution set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

By quadrupling fossil fuel extraction in the Uinta Basin, construction of the railroad is estimated to increase US carbon emissions by 1%. Escalating climate change will bring more wildfires and more drought to the region — at a time when the Biden administration should be actively trying to reduce carbon emissions to prevent further climate change-driven disasters.

White River bearded tongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis) is found only in the Uinta Basin of Utah and Colorado. Photo by Jessi Brunson for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Uinta Basin is dotted with small towns and cities such as Vernal, Duchesne and Jensen. The region’s economic history can be summarized as a series of boom and bust cycles due to its dependence on fossil fuels. The whims of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the fluctuations in oil prices determine the quality of life for many people in the Uinta Basin. These fluctuations often send communities into periods of growth and periods of economic depression that threaten small businesses and family security.

Proponents of the Uinta Basin Railway argue that the construction will diversify the economy of the region by connecting it to the global market. However, there is little indication that the railway will be used to transport anything other than oil to or from the region, especially as at least 130,000 barrels of oil per day must be transported to recoup the construction costs. This will only cause damage and exacerbate boom and bust cycles.

See related: In Belize, a proposed limestone mine threatens conservation heritage

Endangered black-footed mustelares (Mustela nigripes). Photo courtesy of Kimberly Fraser/USFWS.

If the railroad is built, the communities in the Uinta Basin will not have a diversified economy. But there are viable options to re-stimulate and stabilize the economy of the region without large-scale ecological destruction. The Uinta Basin has potential sites for geothermal energy production and wind farms, and the entire region is suitable for solar energy production. In addition, the region’s state parks and Ashley National Forest attract anglers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts – who welcome a growing tourism industry.

Although the Uinta Basin Railway has been approved by the US Forest Service and the Surface Transportation Board, construction has not begun. It is not too late to stop this disastrous project from happening. President Joe Biden has made it a priority to address the climate crisis. To maintain his commitment to a livable climate and to safeguard our nation’s biodiversity, the President should now backtrack on the Uinta Basin Railway and cancel the project from moving forward.

Sammy Herdman coordinates the Save the Boreal Forest campaign for Environment America.

Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: Mexico’s Maya Train is a 958-mile, multibillion-dollar railway project that threatens to displace communities and degrade natural habitats in five states on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Are these costs worth the benefits? Listen to a discussion with our Mexico City-based reporter here,