South Dakota Town Approves Zoning for First Oil Refinery in 32 Years

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - South Dakota Town Approves Zoning for First Oil Refinery in 32 Years

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:21:09 PM EDT

www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/06/04/news/top/4e608d46402d5adb8625745e00110beb.txt

Union County approves zoning ordinance for Hyperion
By Dave Dreeszen Journal business editor

ELK POINT, S.D. -- Flashing a smile, Joyce Bortscheller briefly hugged Hyperion Energy Center executive Preston Phillips as she greeted him in the backyard of her home here.

Bortscheller, president of the Elk Point City Council, had invited about 250 supporters to an outdoor barbecue Tuesday to await the returns for arguably the most important election in Union County's history. The big crowd didn't leave disappointed.

As midnight approached, they popped the champagne corks, celebrating a hard-fought victory that keeps alive the county's chances of landing the nation's first all-new oil refinery in 32 years.

By a solid 58 percent to 42 percent margin, county voters approved Hyperion's request to rezone 3,292 acres of farm land for a new classification, Energy Center Planned Development.

"What happened tonight, we were not supposed to be able to do," Phillips told a cheering audience. "Development projects like this are supposed to be outright rejected by residents and neighbors. But this project is a testament to our balancing the needs for growth and for protecting the environment."

At stake was billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of high-paying jobs. From the beginning, Hyperion executives said they would abandon its Union County site, just north of Elk Point, if a majority of voters failed to give their blessing to the rezoning.

While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote.

Tuesday's historic election culminated a months-long, emotionally charged campaign that pitted neighbor against neighbor in this extreme southeast South Dakota county.

Supporters cited the once-in-a-lifetime economic opportunities the $10 billion project would bring.

An average of 4,500 construction jobs would be required over four years. With the refinery up and running, Hyperion pledges to create 1,826 full-time jobs at hourly wages of between $20 and $30.

"I think it would be a great opportunity for young people to stay in this area instead of leaving for other states," Kelly Hoekstra, 31, of Dakota Dunes said after casting a vote in favor of the rezoning.

Opponents argued the massive development would not be worth the pollution and other troubles they claimed the refinery would bring. The health risks traditionally associated with a refinery weighed heavily on the minds of some voters.

"I live out here. I don't need the pollution," said Jim Schroeder of McCook Lake, after voting against the rezoning.

The contentious issue largely broke along urban and rural lines, with residents living the closest to the Hyperion site fighting the hardest to keep the refinery out of their backyards.

Tuesday's record turnout largely reflected that split, with early returns from the mostly rural precincts putting the "No" votes squarely in the lead. As votes were tallied in the more populated area, particularly in the southeast tier closest to Sioux City, that lead was slowly erased.

The ordinance took a slim 205-vote lead after 11 of the 13 precincts reported. Hyperion supporters declared victory after the Elk Point precinct results came in, increasing the rezoning lead by 150 votes.

Last to report was voter-rich Dakota Dunes, where an unusually large number of absentee ballots slowed the counting. In the Dunes, the ordinance easily passed, 1,017 to 236 votes.

"That's huge," Phillips told the cheering crowd.

The final tally was 3,932 votes in favor of the ordinance and 2,832 against.

Hyperion touted the so-called "green" technology in its proposed energy center, which it claims would be the world's cleanest. The refinery would process 400,000 barrels of tar sands crude a day from Alberta into low-sulfur gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Supporters argued that tapping into reserves from our neighbor to the north would reduce the nation's dependence on Mideast oil and add badly needed refining capacity in the U.S., where the last all-new refinery was built in 1976.

Both sides flooded the county's nearly 10,000 registered voters with paid ads, direct mailers and door-to-door stops, combining to raise and spend more than $100,000.

A ballot question committee formed by Dallas, Texas-based Hyperion alone poured in at least $45,000.

"It was close, and one of the reasons why was negative campaigning worked," Phillips told supporters. "We have always taken the high road, and we will continue to take the high road."

Hyperion project executive J.L. "Corky" Frank, a former Marathon Oil executive, joined Phillips for Tuesday night's celebration, where supporters enjoyed music, food and drink and regularly checked their cell phones for up-to-date election numbers.

Addressing the audience, Phillips thanked the local supporters, including Bortscheller and her husband, Gary, for hosting the party.

Last summer, after Hyperion publicly announced its interest in the Union County site, Bortscheller, who is also a local economic development leader, organized a barbecue for Hyperion CEO Albert Huddleston to introduce him to local residents.

"From the very beginning I was on board because I felt it was the right thing for our county," Bortscheller said early in the evening.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:23:03 PM EDT

[#1]

somebodys gotta

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:25:24 PM EDT

[#2]

Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:27:16 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:28:18 PM EDT

[#4]

Notice how they dont mention how long it will take to go from now to the first drop is produced. I bet it wont be operational until 2012 if ever.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:29:07 PM EDT

[#5]

height=8

Quoted:
height=8

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep Everybody wants one, just not where they live.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:31:13 PM EDT

[#6]

An average of 4,500 construction jobs would be required over four years. With the refinery up and running, Hyperion pledges to create 1,826 full-time jobs at hourly wages of between $20 and $30.

I would say to the opponents, "Are you advocating keeping Americans unemployed just so you dont have a refinery?"

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:31:53 PM EDT

[#7]

While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote.

These fucksticks need to be boned in the ass with a horse's dick for a few hours, before it gets broken off.

They just don't get it, do they?

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:32:23 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

Everybody wants one, just not where they live.

Shit, theres one 15miles from where my parents live in the next city over. Maybe takes up 10-15acres of land, even with 15 huge multi-tens of thousands of gallons tanks.

Build moar.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:33:00 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Notice how they dont mention how long it will take to go from now to the first drop is produced. I bet it wont be operational until 2012 if ever.

4 years.... for construction they said that in the fucking article.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:33:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

Everybody wants one, just not where they live.

Shit I got 80 acres Ill sell for to a refinery and not many people live by it

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:33:55 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote.

These fucksticks need to be boned in the ass with a horse's dick for a few hours, before it gets broken off.

They just don't get it, do they?

It seems every corner of this nation is rife with socialist scumbags..

Why the fuck does everyone want to live in the fucking dark ages?!

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:34:53 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Notice how they dont mention how long it will take to go from now to the first drop is produced. I bet it wont be operational until 2012 if ever.

4 years.... for construction they said that in the fucking article.

THats what I get for just scanning it. I am now changing my bet to 2015

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:41:00 PM EDT

[#13]

Should be lots of jobs for a lot of people. should take a couple years to build and lots of permanent jobs for years to come.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:43:41 PM EDT

[#14]

Awesome this will surely drop the price of crude down to $27 a barrel. Or at least save us .15 cents a gallon.

I am not saying it wont hurt, it just wont help as much as we would think.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:48:17 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Awesome this will surely drop the price of crude down to $27 a barrel. Or at least save us .15 cents a gallon.

I am not saying it wont hurt, it just wont help as much as we would think.

It's a start though, better 30 years late than never.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:49:26 PM EDT

[#16]

height=8

Quoted:
height=8

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep here

Shit, theres one 15miles from where my parents live in the next city over. Maybe takes up 10-15acres of land, even with 15 huge multi-tens of thousands of gallons tanks.

Build moar.

Refineries are like nuclear plants. Almost everybody would tell you that we need more, but if you suggest dropping one where they live it's "OOOOhhhhh, no you don't! Not around here. You'll poison the children, give me cancer, salt the land, blacken the sky, etc." And that happens everywhere you go. The only places that doesn't happen are places too remote to make use of whatever it provides. There's a real stigma to refineries and nuclear power. Rational or not, it's here, and it'll stay, probably for a long time.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:51:22 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

We have one of the econo-freak groups, I think the Sierra Club, fighting tooth and nail down here to keep a coal fired power plant from being built in southwest Georgia. Same bullshit with nukes.

This shit is staring those morons right in the face and they still won't relent. Fucking idiots.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:53:46 PM EDT

[#18]

good start. Expect flak from county, state, Feds.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:54:01 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

We have one of the econo-freak groups, I think the Sierra Club, fighting tooth and nail down here to keep a coal fired power plant from being built in southwest Georgia. Same bullshit with nukes.

This shit is staring those morons right in the face and they still won't relent. Fucking idiots.

I used to believe that. Now I think that they know exactly what they are doing - they are trying to destroy this country.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:55:32 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote.

These fucksticks need to be boned in the ass with a horse's dick for a few hours, before it gets broken off.

They just don't get it, do they?

The initials of their group say it all SUC(k)

www.saveunioncounty.com/

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:55:33 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

We have one of the econo-freak groups, I think the Sierra Club, fighting tooth and nail down here to keep a coal fired power plant from being built in southwest Georgia. Same bullshit with nukes.

This shit is staring those morons right in the face and they still won't relent. Fucking idiots.

I used to believe that. Now I think that they know exactly what they are doing - they are trying to destroy this country.

Either way, they are still idiots.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:56:20 PM EDT

[#22]

Yeah, and I bet if the town wanted to zone for 80 acres of solar panels, at a cost of 10 million dollars, that would collectively generate enough electricity to power 20 homes, they would be all over it.

Last time I checked most of our economy ran on freaking fossil fuels.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:57:26 PM EDT

[#23]

Minnesota Public Radio supporting (naturally!) the libtards.

minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/23/hyperionproject/?rsssource=1

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:59:12 PM EDT

[#24]

South dakota is a pretty strategic place for inland extracted oil. Especially since they have been talking about the Bakken formation in North and South Dakota and the massive amount of oil that it holds. If they can get it extracted some time after the refinery opens then it will impact oil prices a little I think.

Posted: 6/4/2008 6:59:53 PM EDT

[#25]

A good example of how to absolutely, positively ,recession proof your local economy.

Posted: 6/4/2008 8:26:09 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Man that is awsome, But some dumbocrap will be along shortly to ruin their smiling faces. Or Obama knows by now and is wrenching up some majic rocks to make gas so he can change the refinery into a milk producing plant.

"While conceding defeat, opponents vowed to keep fighting the controversial project on every imaginable front, pressing on with a lawsuit it filed against the county over the zoning procedures and opposing Hyperion as it applies for a bevy of state and federal permits.

"We have strategies in place to slow or delay all the permit processes," Ed Cable, chairman of the anti-Hyperion group Save Union County, said after the vote."

yep

We have one of the econo-freak groups, I think the Sierra Club, fighting tooth and nail down here to keep a coal fired power plant from being built in southwest Georgia. Same bullshit with nukes.

This shit is staring those morons right in the face and they still won't relent. Fucking idiots.

I used to believe that. Now I think that they know exactly what they are doing - they are trying to destroy this country.

sad but true

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - South Dakota Town Approves Zoning for First Oil Refinery in 32 Years

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