Hyperion touts survey results; opponents say they're bogus
By Michele Linck, Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Hyperion Resources is touting results a public opinion survey which, it said, shows "strong support" for the company's proposed plan to build an oil refinery/energy center in Union County, S.D.
Opponents of the project say they don't believe it was a fair survey and charge that the telephone poll-takers hung up on people who said they opposed the project. Responding to the charge for Hyperion, spokeman Eric Williams said, "The poll results are valid." He attributed the accusation to a second round of calls made two weeks later on behalf of the company for a different reason.
Hyperion said that half of the 400 people who answered the poll question in the first round lived in Union County. The other 200 respondents lived in Clay and Lincoln counties in South Dakota; in Sioux, Plymouth and Woodbury counties in Iowa; and in Dakota and Dixon counties in Nebraska.
The telephone survey was conducted on July 11 and 12 by Public Opinion Strategies, a Washington, D.C. firm. The names of the people called came from voter registration lists.
According to Hyperion Resources, the question put to the 400 people who participated was:
"As you may have heard, there is a plan to build a large oil refinery and energy manufacturing facility in an area north of Elk Point, S.D. in Union County. This plan, which has been called the "Gorilla Project" consists of a Texas Energy company building a new oil refinery in Union County which will process crude oil from Canada into low sulfur gasoline and diesel fuel.
"Would you favor or oppose this plan to build a large oil refinery and energy manufacturing facility in Union County?"
In a summary, Hyperion said, 71 percent of those responding said they favor building the Energy Center in Union County and 19 percent said they were opposed.
The results were broken down by self-reported age and sex and political affiliation, which came apparently from the voter rolls. Women in general showed more opposition than men. While 13 percent of men said they were opposed to the refinery, 24 percent of women said they were against it. Republicans favored the project more heavily than Democrats.
Young and old voters were queried, but the poll shows no results for people between the ages of 45 and 64.
Hyperion said that of the 71 percent who said they favor the proposed refinery, 44 percent said they "strongly favor" building it.
Opposed?
Dale Harkness, president of Save Union County, a group opposed to the refinery, said his group has talked to people who were called by Public Opinion Strategies. He said some were hung up on when they said they were against the project. He said they knew it was Hyperion's poll because they asked the caller and were told that they were calling for the company.
Williams said the company was involved in two separate surveys. He said the survey done by Public Opinion Strategies was scientific, and that callers identified themselves as being with the polling firm.
Two weeks later, Williams said, other calls were made on Hyperion's behalf to identify supporters and potential supporters of the project; the callers identified themselves as calling for Hyperion. He said that if the person taking the call identified themselves as opposed to the project "the caller thanked them and politely exited the call."
Harkness said Tuesday that Save Union County has done a poll of its own, working from the phone book rather than voter registration lists. He said he didn't have the compiled numbers yet and was hesitant to summarize. He said the group would discuss the results Tuesday evening at a meeting and possibly release them today.
Hyperion Resources points to its poll results as evidence the project has broad support. The Public Opinion Strategies poll results released by Hyperion Resources as are follows:
-- Men: 80 percent in favor; 13 percent opposed;
-- Women: 63 percent in favor; 24 percent opposed;
-- Republicans: 75 percent in favor; 17 percent opposed;
-- Democrats: 69 percent in favor; 22 percent opposed;
-- Age 18-44: 73 percent in favor; 14 percent opposed;
-- Age 65+: 74 percent in favor; 18 percent opposed.
Opponents of the project say they don't believe it was a fair survey and charge that the telephone poll-takers hung up on people who said they opposed the project. Responding to the charge for Hyperion, spokeman Eric Williams said, "The poll results are valid." He attributed the accusation to a second round of calls made two weeks later on behalf of the company for a different reason.
Hyperion said that half of the 400 people who answered the poll question in the first round lived in Union County. The other 200 respondents lived in Clay and Lincoln counties in South Dakota; in Sioux, Plymouth and Woodbury counties in Iowa; and in Dakota and Dixon counties in Nebraska.
The telephone survey was conducted on July 11 and 12 by Public Opinion Strategies, a Washington, D.C. firm. The names of the people called came from voter registration lists.
According to Hyperion Resources, the question put to the 400 people who participated was:
"As you may have heard, there is a plan to build a large oil refinery and energy manufacturing facility in an area north of Elk Point, S.D. in Union County. This plan, which has been called the "Gorilla Project" consists of a Texas Energy company building a new oil refinery in Union County which will process crude oil from Canada into low sulfur gasoline and diesel fuel.
"Would you favor or oppose this plan to build a large oil refinery and energy manufacturing facility in Union County?"
In a summary, Hyperion said, 71 percent of those responding said they favor building the Energy Center in Union County and 19 percent said they were opposed.
The results were broken down by self-reported age and sex and political affiliation, which came apparently from the voter rolls. Women in general showed more opposition than men. While 13 percent of men said they were opposed to the refinery, 24 percent of women said they were against it. Republicans favored the project more heavily than Democrats.
Young and old voters were queried, but the poll shows no results for people between the ages of 45 and 64.
Hyperion said that of the 71 percent who said they favor the proposed refinery, 44 percent said they "strongly favor" building it.
Opposed?
Dale Harkness, president of Save Union County, a group opposed to the refinery, said his group has talked to people who were called by Public Opinion Strategies. He said some were hung up on when they said they were against the project. He said they knew it was Hyperion's poll because they asked the caller and were told that they were calling for the company.
Williams said the company was involved in two separate surveys. He said the survey done by Public Opinion Strategies was scientific, and that callers identified themselves as being with the polling firm.
Two weeks later, Williams said, other calls were made on Hyperion's behalf to identify supporters and potential supporters of the project; the callers identified themselves as calling for Hyperion. He said that if the person taking the call identified themselves as opposed to the project "the caller thanked them and politely exited the call."
Harkness said Tuesday that Save Union County has done a poll of its own, working from the phone book rather than voter registration lists. He said he didn't have the compiled numbers yet and was hesitant to summarize. He said the group would discuss the results Tuesday evening at a meeting and possibly release them today.
Hyperion Resources points to its poll results as evidence the project has broad support. The Public Opinion Strategies poll results released by Hyperion Resources as are follows:
-- Men: 80 percent in favor; 13 percent opposed;
-- Women: 63 percent in favor; 24 percent opposed;
-- Republicans: 75 percent in favor; 17 percent opposed;
-- Democrats: 69 percent in favor; 22 percent opposed;
-- Age 18-44: 73 percent in favor; 14 percent opposed;
-- Age 65+: 74 percent in favor; 18 percent opposed.
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