"After years of working to obtain permission from the state, Alberta-based U.S. Oil Sands Inc. was given the final go-ahead Wednesday to develop the first commercial oil sands project in the US."

"The Utah water board has voted to approve the United States' first commercial oil sands project.

Alberta-based U.S. Oil Sands Inc.expects its new plant will produce an output of 2,000 barrels of petroleum product a day from oil sands by 2013.

Environmental groups say they're likely to appeal Wednesday's decision by the Utah's Water Quality Board, which paved the way for the new plant.

The legal battle over the oil sands has been overshadowed during the past year by the proposed US pipeline from Canadian oil sands. U.S. Oil Sands Inc. has been working since 2005 to obtain permission from the state to develop oil sands in Utah's Book Cliffs. "

David J. Unger reports for the Christian Science Monitor October 24, 2012. [2]