New South Dakota Oil Refinery One Step Closer to Reality
First in America Since 1976
Voters have said yes to a zoning ordinance that would result in construction of the nation’s newest oil refinery in over 30 years.
The highly contentious issue has pitted neighbor against neighbor in Union County, SD for months after Hyperion Energy first applied for a zoning permit to build the refinery.
Elk Point, SD city officials, quoted in the Sioux City Journal, were elated over the vote, saying it could bring thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars into the farming community.
$10 Billion Project
Hyperion plans to use 3,292 acres of farm land to build what Hyperion claimed would be a “green” energy center, the worlds cleanest, at a cost of $10 billion
The facility would process 400,000 barrels of Alberta tar sands crude a day, turning it into what the company says is low-sulfur gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, in addition to an IGCC (integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) power plant.
Read below, under “Posts Related to Oil and the Environment“, for an article I wrote last year on the tar sands, and a podcast interview with Liz Moore on her run-in with Syncrude.
At stake, according to company and local officials, will be 4,500 construction jobs, and over 1,800 permanent full time employees.
Opposition Unbowed
Opponents of the plan vow to do anything possible to stop the plant from becoming reality. The “not in my back yard” crowd cites health issues from pollution and other troubles the refinery would bring to their neighborhoods.
While the zoning issue is a big step, the company now has to submit a series of applications to local, state and federal agencies before construction an begin.
Opponents say they have strategies that will slow or delay the permit processes.
Hyperion says it plans to break ground in 2010.
Posts Related to Oil and the Environment:
- Podcast Interview with Liz Moore, who documented the Alberta Tar Sands project and was not allowed to publish pictures depicting damage to the local environment on her website. The link to my introductory story is here with pictures and links to the Syncrude project. Here is my interview with Liz.
- Canada Unleashes First Carbon Tax in N. America
- Sorry Bush, Voters Think Investment in Renewable Energy is the Best Option
- Ship By Rail, Reduce Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions By More Than 12 Million Tons
Image Credit: www.ktiv.com/Images/ hyperion-resources-logo.jpg
The Alberta tar sands are the hugest environmental boondoggle that no one knows has been developing for 10 years.
Refineries in South Dakota and Montana? Keep digging, America…
[...] read more | digg story [...]
Just when the first Hydrogen on Demand came out? This money might be wasted, I hate to say, sorry!
I’m totally outraged that this plant is not being built in MY freakin’ country. Our environment is being destroyed in Alberta, just to make $13 a barrel crude, and then you cockroaches, get to make most of the real $$$ processing it, and will make us, up here, we’ll wind up paying more for a gallon of gas, than all you fat, lazy clowns in your SUVs down south. Now wonder the Arabs hate you people sometimes. Whatever you can’t buy CHEAP, you’ll STEAL.
I thought I was reading one of those parody news blurbs at first. Hopefully by 2010 a better solution will dawn on them…
Are not tar sands extremely expensive and dirty to convert to oil let alone being anything but “green”?
It is actually Elk Point, SD not Elk Grove, SD……
That’s great, but with food prices going up, 3,292 acres of farm land is a lot of food that we could be planting.
North Dakota been working on one for a while now. One Indian Reservation has gone through some of the application process.
Jesus christ you guys, cant any of you be happy?
Prices are high because of no new refineries! Lets build some! OK!
Wait, you should continue farming and not refine oil!
Wait, you should of built it up in Alberta!
This is good news, and it moves us one step closer to becoming less reliant on other countries oil. Whats so wrong with that?
Whine whine whine when none of you have any realistic solutions