We're all in this Together!

State won't require environmental impact study

2008-08-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Both the Sioux City Journal and the Argus Leader have stories today on how the State of South Dakota is not going to "require" Hyperion to do an environmental impact study (EIS).

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/08/06/news/top/1d74a107ba742f768625749c007e6a37.txt#blogcomments

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/NEWS/808060316

What is an environmental impact study or EIS?
An environmental impact study (EIS) is the detailed study of the potential effects of a designated development on the local environment. Environmental impact studies should assess the existing site and conditions and evaluate the anticipated impacts on the flora, fauna, economy, historical and social factors of the new development.

An EIS is important to avoid damage to a local area in terms of its ecology, air and water quality and to ensure long-term sustainable, minimal impact development.

South Dakota Minority House Leader calling for outside expertise.
The state Senate minority leader is calling for more independence in the permit process for the proposed Hyperion Energy Center in Union County. Sen. Scott Heidepriem has asked the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources to hire an independent consulting firm to review the environmental effects of Hyperion Energy's proposed oil refinery and power plant.

What is Hyperion's view point on an environmental impact study?
According to the Argus Leader today..."We fully support the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources position regarding environmental impact studies," said Hyperion spokesman Jeffrey Bell."

And that position is that there is NOT a need for an environmental impact study because the state of South Dakota has the where with all and expertise to conduct and analyze all the studies that will expose the potential affects of this proposed refinery.

If you are not ok with that we urge you to contact Senator Hediepriem, Steve Pirner, Governor Rounds and your representatives.

CNN reports on ?'s surrounding Hyperion

2008-07-14T15:16:00.001-07:00

CNN ran an interesting story last night about the proposed refinery. It appears that the CNN reporter was a bit skeptical of Hyperion and their ideas. The reporter brought up good points about Hyperion's admission of no financing and also the lawsuit against Albert Huddleston for trying to take money out of his wife's trust fund and for never having a successful project in the past.

Here is the video link:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2008/07/14/griffin.hyperion.energy.short.cnn?iref=mpvideosview

A high price

2008-06-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

As the price of oil continues to climb and the cost of a gallon of gas races past $4, the clamor in support for increased oil drilling grows louder. Whether off-shore or in the pristine wilderness of Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve, expanded exploratory drilling long has been a contentious political subject. How much oil are we talking about? What will the real economic benefit look like? It's impossible to guess with any real precision.

Given the current climate, however, it's tempting to ignore the consequences which, in fairness, also are largely unknowable. With gas prices as high as they are, Americans need all the oil we can get.

But now imagine that oil is buried not below the barren tundra but below South Dakota's Badlands. Like the Wildlife Reserve in Alaska, it's pretty remote - especially if you're a lawmaker from a large coastal state. The animal populations aren't particularly valuable - prairie dogs and caribou. The nearest human populations to both sites are Native Americans or Alaskan Native tribes with about as much political and lobbying clout as those reindeer.

Of course, ANWR is much bigger than the Badlands - more than 19 million acres. This isn't a perfect analogy. But if the rigs were going up inside our natural treasure, all of a sudden it would be much harder to be in favor of erecting even a small amount of drilling. Oil, it is increasingly clear, is not the long-term answer to our energy needs. Big investments now - both monetary and philosophical - might not be wise. There might come a time when our situation is desperate enough to take that action. For now, though, we must resist the urge to let our SUVs think for us.
There always is a price for allowing short-term solutions to dominate our thinking, and sometimes that price is high. American governments have had ample opportunity to learn that lesson.

Yes, the price of oil is high. Some prices, though, are even higher.

-Argus Leader June 22nd
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080622/VOICES01/806220309/1161/CUSTOMER06

What happens now?

2008-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

The following is taken from the Sioux City journal this morning:

Union County voters had their say Tuesday. So, what happens now?

There's still much to be decided.

Can the outcome be challenged in court?
Yes. If someone doesn't like the outcome and wants to challenge it in court, he or she can, said Kea Warne, election law specialist with the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office. A judge would decide whether there was a legal basis for the challenge.

Does approval mean Hyperion will commit to building its proposed energy center in Union County?

No. The company has repeatedly said it is considering several sites in other Midwest states. Hyperion project executive J.L. "Corky'' Frank said the company hopes to make a final decision later this year. Union County land is the only site the company has publicly identified. Kansas reportedly was on an early list of possible locations, but lawmakers there said the company crossed the state off its list after Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed an energy-related bill dealing with greenhouse gas emissions.

If Hyperion selects Union County, can it now begin construction?

No. The company must still clear a number of hurdles, including obtaining 28 different state and federal environmental permits. The first big step is a 613-page air quality permit application under review by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources. DENR officials have been reviewing the application since December, and Hyperion hopes to complete the air permit process by year's end. "It will entail public meetings and a comment period,'' Frank said. "It will be another situation sort of like this rezoning."

What about the land options Hyperion holds in Union County?

Counting the 3,292-acre site approved in the zoning ordinance Tuesday, Hyperion has options on more than 13,000 acres, according to county records. The options all appear to expire at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 31, but Frank said the options can be renewed as the project moves through the permitting process. Hyperion has no current plans to change the use of other agriculture land it has optioned, he said. To do so would require going through a separate rezoning process, according to Frank.

How early could construction begin at the Union County site?
If all goes well, Hyperion hopes to complete the permitting process by the end of 2009. If that happens, site preparation could begin in 2010.

Do opponents plan to keep fighting the project?

Yes. Ed Cable, co-chairman of Save Union County, has vowed his group will do all it can in the courts and will challenge every state and federal permit the company must get in order to proceed to construction and operation of the refinery; it needs more than a dozen environmental permits alone.What's the status of the lawsuit Save Union County filed against Union County before the election?The lawsuit is still pending in Union County Circuit Court. Filed against the county Board of Commissioners in March by the Save Union County Committee, the suit alleges the board violated the county's statutes in creating and granting Hyperion's request for an Energy Center Planned Development District.

Thank you!!!

2008-06-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you for those of you who are standing with us today and voting no. We appreciate your support and want you to know that TOGETHER we can ensure a clean, safe and healthy future for our children and grandchildren. We know that our State is capable of leading the way in alternative energy. We are proud to call you our neighbor and friend.

Local newspaper details families personal story/research

2008-05-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

The Akron Hometowner paper has had some excellent articles concerning Hyperion. This week's paper shares with you one families perspective. Many of you may remember their entire family speaking at the first public planning and zoning meeting in Elk Point this winter. Their speeches were articulate, well researched and given with ease and confidence.

To read please click here:
http://www.akronhometowner.com/Archive/08_05_28/Weigel%20family%20dose%20of%20reality.pdf

A truly green bio-diesel plant proposed by Vermillion

2008-05-29T06:36:00.001-07:00

Found this article in the Argus Leader today and thought it was intriquing. This sounds more feasible than Hyperion's proposed oil refinery. This could also be up and running much sooner.

Please check out the following link.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/NEWS/805290314

We as Americans need to be thinking like this man. He has a vision for something that is innovative and isn't detrimental to the environment.

The Women of the Flier

2008-05-13T06:21:00.001-07:00

Who are the women of the flier?

Together we make up the women of Union County and surrounding communities. We are moms, sisters, grandmas, teachers, nurses, doctors and we have come together to let our voices be heard. Together we support these principles.

CONSERVATION
*conserve natural resources of water, air and soil
*safeguard the beauty of our landscape
*preserve quality of schools and communities

INNOVATION
*increase reliance on renewable resources
*promote energy efficiency
*invest in clean energy rather than fossil fuels

ACCOUNTABILITY
*elect and support innovative leaders
*ensure protection from toxic pollutants
*leave a better legacy for our children and grandchildren

Together are voices are STRONG.
Stand with us and vote "No" to Hyperion on June 3rd!

Want to get involved? E-mail us at womenstandingtogether@gmail.com

Knowledge is power. United we can make a difference. Join with us as we say "no" to fossil fuels and "yes" to the exciting future of renewable and alternative energy.

Questions you Need to Ask Before Voting

2008-05-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to answer these questions in a few sentences, but here is a brief overview of some of the common questions being asked. We encourage you to do some of your own research on refineries, the Alberta Tar Sands (source of crude oil) and alternative sources of renewable energy.

Is Union County the optimal place to build a refinery?
Hyperion has options on close to 11,000 acres of prime, fertile farm ground. Today only 1/10th of the earth’s land surface is cropland. This ongoing shrinkage of cropland makes it difficult for the world’s farmers to feed 70 million people added to the world population every year.

President Bush suggests that refineries be built on abandoned military sites or “brownfield” or existing refinery sites that are already polluted. Does it make sense to destroy 1,000’s of acres of rich cropland to build a polluting refinery? It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfield sites in the United States.
http://www.epa.gov/region4/landrevitalization/program/BrownfieldSites.htm
http://www.saveunioncounty.com/test/refinerypowerpoint_files/frame.htm

Is that true that no new refineries have been built in 30 years?
Obtaining financing and permitting for a new refinery is difficult. That is why existing refineries are and have been expanding. Economically it is more feasible to add-on than to build from scratch. To expand an existing refinery costs around $16,000 (per barrel a day capacity). A new refinery would cost around $25,000 per barrel. So a 400,000 barrel a day refining capacity would cost an extra $3.6 billion to build from ground up rather than as an expansion.

On January 16, 2008, the President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, Red Cavaney, said, "Our industry is making record investments in U.S. Refineries, expanding their capacity and investing nearly $50 billion from 1996-2005 . . . Current expansion plans will boost domestic refining capacity by one million barrels per day between now and 2012, THE EQUIVALENT OF FIVE NEW REFINERIES." (Fourth Annual United Energy Association).

Expansions have or are taking place at refineries in:
Garysville, IN
Robinson, IL
Superior, WI
Rosemount, MN
Detroit, MI
Port Arthur, TX
Big West, CA
Central Valley, CA
Tuscaloosa, AL

Will local gas prices be lower if this refinery is built?
The proposed refinery will not be up and running until 2014 (Hyperion’s time line) and realistically much later than that considering the enormous task of obtaining the financing, permits and pipeline needed to bring in the crude oil. Currently towns that have refineries located in them do not see a price break in the cost of their gas. Governor Rounds himself has confirmed that a local refinery will not reduce our fuel prices locally.

What successful projects has Hyperion completed in the past?
None that we know of. Hyperion Resources CFO and VP Viro Vranac Jr., recently filed a lawsuit against Hyperion's CEO Albert Huddleston and his wife Mary for misusing funds from a trust for "misguided projects in Iraq and South Dakota."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24496767/
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805150318

What other industries will locate near the refinery?
It’s common to have one or more chemical plants next to a refinery because they will use some of the intermediate products of the refinery. Sour crude has a high sulfur content so there could be sulfur plants next to the refinery with up to 100 train cars a day filled with sulfur leaving the refinery. The most likely route for a railroad is straight south of the proposed refinery site ( passing a mile east of St. Paul Lutheran church) into Elk Point where it would connect to existing rail lines. The existing railroad parallels 1-29 into Sioux City passing through the towns of Jefferson and North Sioux City. What would be the repercussions of a train accident hauling sulfur? Will we be able to smell the sulfur (rotten egg smell) as it is being transported daily?

Are Hyperion’s claims that they will be the ‘greenest” refinery every built truthful?
Hyperion says it will use the best available control technology (BACT) However, there are several levels of BACT. One of them being LAER (Lowest Achievable Emission Rate) which is truly the most stringent. Hyperion will not use LAER technology nor have they applied for a LAER permit through the DENR of South Dakota. Instead Hyperion is applying for a PSD air permit (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) which is not as stringent as LAER. Since South Dakota has clear air (making it an “attainment state”) the EPA requires only PSD not LAER. Hyperion would save money using PSD and in return emit more air pollution than if they were required to use LAER. Recently SB196, a bill that would have made South Dakota's environmental standards as high as Californias was shot down in Pierre. Hyperion lobbied against this bill. For more specifics, click on this link.
http://yankton.net/stories/031008/ope_255412772.shtml

Please click on this interesting fact sheet: http://thunewatch.squarespace.com/sdwatch/2008/1/3/sdpjc-what-you-should-know-about-hyperion-and-oil-refineries.html

How feasible is the proposed oil refinery?
Hyperion has provided no proof of their financial backing, but instead Hyperion recently visited Senators Tim Johnson and John Thune in Washington seeking federal funding for the proposed refinery. Hyperion Resources wants a $10 billion federal loan guarantee to build its proposed Energy Center in Union County. Senator Johnson has confirmed that Hyperion officials "asked me a couple of weeks ago to create a new loan program for $10 billion of loan guarantees for construction of a refinery. I expressed doubt it could happen." Oil industry analyst Philip Verleger Jr., head of PKVerleger, a Denver gas and oil industry consulting firm says the loan request shows how speculative the project is. "If it were commercially viable, they wouldn't need a loan guarantee," said Verleger.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS/804240311/1001/RSS

Multibillion-dollar oil sands projects will face new legal and regulatory hurdles after the Federal Court ruled against Imperial Oil Ltd. in its battle to keep the $8-billion Kearl oil sands mine on schedule.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080515.RKEARL15/TPStory/Business

What specifically are we voting on?
We are voting on the commissioner’s decision to re-zone 3,000 acres of prime agricultural ground to industrial or planned development. The language in which Hyperion has requested the area be re-zoned is very vague and open. Because they are asking for “manufacturing of any type” the property could be sold to a third party and made into a host of other things other than a refinery. Included in their re-zoning request is ‘any industrial use without limitations.” as well as no expiration date on the length of time Hyperion has to complete their project. A vote “No” would repeal the commissioner’s decision to re-zone the area. A vote “Yes” will allow the above changes to remain in place.

Will the oil refinery really create 1,800 high paying jobs?
Hyperion representatives have acknowledged that the $20-30 an hour wage is a “average” meaning there will be jobs paying more and jobs paying less. According to Hyperion’s own Air Permit Application, Table 3-1, Appendix G, Hyperion itself projects that 70% of all jobs and 87% of the high paying jobs will go to people from outside the Tri-State area.
A Marathon oil refinery in Garysville, Indiana is currently expanding to 425,000 barrels a day (25,000 more than Hyperion’s proposal) and will employ 1,200. However, an optimally designed refinery should realistically be able to operate on closer to 500 employees.

What is this recreation area that Hyperion is talking about developing along the Missouri River?
This is actually an area where waste water from the refinery will be discharged. Hyperion has said they will turn this into a “wetland” area with water fowl habitat and a wildlife area that will be publicly accessible. Despite these nice sounding ideas, this will not be a "pristine and clean" area you will want to bring your family to recreate at.

How will my area of the county be affected by the refinery?
*severe burden on schools, health care and community services
*influx of transient workers with no ties to our local communities
*large increase in truck and train traffic through the entire county
*risk of toxic spills, explosions, fires and accidents
*thousands of toxins emitted into the air negatively affecting one’s health
*pipelines going through or nearby your home that carry the heavy crude oil, refined products, natural gas, fresh water and “decontaminated” water back to the Missouri
*the possible use of eminent domain to condemn land for pipelines, railroads, etc. (see link below for ruling made this week to allow eminent domain for transcanada pipeline) Transcanada has said there is no connection between their pipeline and Hyperion.
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/05/15/news/latest_news/4216e0d1f23aaaf28625744a00437d47.txt

Will the next elected President of the United States affect the feasibility of this project?
It's highly likely that the proposed oil refinery will have a difficult time attracting financing as well as backing considering the strong environmental platforms all three candidates (McCain, Obama and Clinton) are running on. All have pledged to "significantly reduce C02 levels" as well as promote and invest in "clean and renewable sources of energy." Hyperion's plans go against everything that these candidates are spearheading.

I live in Beresford or the Dakota Dunes-will the refinery emissions effect me?
The refinery's method for dealing with pollution is dillution. That's why they have so many towers at different heights. The air pollution gets dispersed at different atmospheric levels . . . for example, the shorter towers will drop the pollution on nearby areas, but the taller towers will help the wind carry it long distances. We all know how strong the wind can blow so imagine that being spread out over your home and neighborhood.

2008-05-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

The excellent piece written by Kim Keiser and entitled "My Voice: Moving beyond oil: Leadership needed" was printed in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader on May 2nd, 2008.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805020319

I was born in Iowa and raised in South Dakota but lived throughout my 20s in New York City. During that time I was stereotyped as ignorant because I was from a small Midwestern town. This was a painful stereotype to overcome given that people I know in the Midwest are some of the brightest and most talented I have met.

But it was through my experience of this stereotype that I developed the ability to look outside my own culture and develop a larger frame of reference. I developed a way of relating to two cultures: the culture of my home in the Midwest and the culture of being a citizen of the world.

In the Midwest we live in the center of the United States and our borders are buffered by thousands of miles of land. Our culture is insulated, rarely challenged by direct contact with cultures different from ours. The perception of ignorance that I encountered in part could stem from our sheltered environment. By its nature, a sheltered environment cultivates a local rather than global mindset.

The ability to understand how our actions affect the global picture is the responsibility of each person, but it is our leaders who must shape our lives with an understanding of a broader perspective. While one individual can live his or her life with a local perspective, leadership that operates in this way is destined to fail.

One thing has been striking throughout discussions of the proposed Hyperion oil refinery is that our leaders - city and county elected officials and Gov. Mike Rounds - have endorsed the project. Yet every day I read that the use of fossil fuels is out of favor (even as consumption is rising), alternative forms of energy are being developed, pollution from refineries increases carbon-dioxide emissions responsible for heat-producing greenhouse gases and more. Many cities throughout the country and other government leaders, scientists and community organizations are starting to embrace environmentally responsible living and sustainable energy practices. Yet South Dakota is entertaining the idea of building one of the largest and most toxic oil refineries in the country.

These same leaders are encouraging the youth of South Dakota to stay and find jobs here. If you want to develop a community and keep youth here and innovation alive, your leadership decisions should support economic development that is itself innovative. The Hyperion oil refinery and energy production based on fossil fuels are not innovative or environmentally sustainable, and this is not the type of leadership decision upon which the future is built.

Ushering in tomorrow's energy practices will not happen by wish, a stroke of luck or by merely thinking about it. It will happen when our leaders put in place policies that support the energy sources of tomorrow. This is one time when we must look outside of our local communities to understand what the Hyperion oil refinery would mean, not only to the area but to the growth of sustainable energy production across the country.

Leaders can choose to capitalize on old hat, or they can be true innovators. When JFK said that he wanted to put a man on the moon, industries rallied and new businesses were born - businesses that developed many of the technologies used today.

It has been said that we need the same type of leadership today to usher in a new era of energy sources and production. It requires ingenuity and vision to seek new possibilities for energy use. Leaders in many cities throughout the county are taking stands on tomorrow's energy sources and implementing change in their communities. Through the endorsement of the Hyperion oil refinery, our leaders appear to be willing to trade in the heart and soul of our state agriculture and family-farm culture in Union County for a dying energy source that will lead to short-term economic development.

When our ancestors settled in South Dakota, they set out using innovative agricultural practices. My grandfather operated one of the first milking parlors in the state, starting in 1964. What does that next generation of farmers have to look forward to when their land has been turned from pristine rolling hills into an industrial landscape? What would my grandfather think? Perhaps if Rounds and other leaders in our smaller towns want to keep more young people in state and develop local economies, they should consider rebuilding the family farm through the use of sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar.

For the rest of us: Be progressive. Be your own leader. Vote no on the Hyperion oil refinery!