Oil Shale Fact Sheet: Water Consumption and Pollution

October 14, 2008

Commercial oil shale development relies on unproven, environmentally destructive, and economically dubious technologies that are decades away from commercial readiness. In addition, extracting, producing, and refining oil shale also requires more water than the region has available. Tremendous amounts of water are needed for every step of oil shale production, including mining and handling, electricity generation, retorting, and refining. This fact sheet explores the many water issues surrounding oil shale development.