Environmental-impact assessment for the proposed oil-shale integrated tri-generation plant

Air, land and water impacts for a proposed commercial-sized oil-shale integrated tri-generation system (OSITGS) are predicted. A preliminary analysis of the processes incurred was conducted to determine the nature and expected rates of various effluent streams emerging from the OSITGS. Mining and the processing of the oil-shale will significantly disturb the environment, as a result of pollution by dust particles and ash derived from the oil-shale as well as various gaseous emissions from the proposed development. However, it is likely that solid-waste handling (including ultimate disposal) as well as land-use impacts will be of greater concern than emissions to the atmosphere from the proposed oil-shale operations. Preliminary predictions indicate that the proposed integrated process will be financially attractive, as well as an environmentally-acceptable technique for producing synthetic (liquid and gaseous) fuels and electricity from oil-shale, compared with conventional utilisation methods. But significant information gaps exist, so inhibiting the making of accurate environmental assessments concerning the behaviour of the OSITGS at this time. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.