Union County residents crowd Hyperion forum
They ask questions of the experts
By Michele Linck Journal staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2007
BERESFORD, S.D. -- Union County residents got a chance Monday to ask questions of Hyperion Resources officials and environmental experts about the company's proposed oil refinery/energy center that it may build in their midst.
People began arriving at Beresford Community Center well ahead of the forum's scheduled 6 p.m. start. By 7 p.m. more than 200 had signed in.
Nine tables holding displays of specific facets of the project, ranging from an overview of Dallas-based Hyperion to the project's impact on air and water, its technology, labor shed and estimated economic impact on the area were spread around the community center. Each table was staffed by at least one company expert who has worked on the $10 billion Hyperion Energy Center.
Hyperion filed an application last week for the rezoning of 3,882 acres for the center, which would be anchored by a 400,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery and also produce some of its own electricity.
Hyperion maintains it is also considering other sites but hasn't publicly identified any.
'Amazing' aerial photo
A display of an aerial photo with a simulated refinery imposed on the actual site caught the attention of many landowners. It alone answered many questions.
Reed Bird, who farms some land within the refinery's proposed footprint, studied the fields and pointed to his home, just outside the boundary. He said he has sold an option on his house to Hyperion.
"It's kind of amazing to see the hills in the background," his mother, Maxine Bird, marveled. She and her husband, Ron Bird, have optioned much of their land to the company.
'It's a concern'
Jim Wennblom came from Elk Point, S.D. to ask his only question. "I'm an amateur radio operator, interested to see if they'll be causing any RF (radio frequency) noise," he said. He hadn't yet found the table at which to ask it, however.
Krishna Mastel of Vermillion, who said she holds degrees in biology and law, came to ask environmental questions. She said she was disappointed the answers weren't more specific.
She said the Hyperion representative she'd talked to about carbon dioxide emissions, which are currently unregulated, told her the company would support new standards as long as they are applied to everyone. "They're not going to lobby for it," she said.
"They're here saying they'll use the best control technology," Mastel said. "It's because they have to. It's the law."
For Stan Foltz of Vermillion, the questions were personal, although he hadn't yet asked them. An employee of Union County Electric Co-op, he wondered whether Hyperion was going to make all its own electricity and if not, from what other company would it buy power?
"They're taking a lot of our territory," he said. "It's a concern. That's where I draw my paycheck."
Marcella Buum said she lives six miles northwest of the proposed refinery site. She asked Hyperion's refinery/power plant air permitting expert, Tom Emmel, if she would smell the refinery.
He told her the sulfur byproduct is the worst smelling but that it would be in closed containers on rail cars inside a building.
"If that's true, it makes me happy," Buum said. "I'd like to have him sign on the dotted line."
Among Emmel's graphs was one that shows the refinery would emit fewer than 2,500 tons of air pollutants a year, 1/30 that of the George Neal plant at MidAmerican Energy's Port Neal facility near Sergeant Bluff, and 1/60 that of the Big Stone power plant near Milbank, S.D.
Emmel said Hyperion would apply for its air permits soon. He estimated they would take about one year to obtain.
Outspoken proponents and opponents of the facility were also at the informal forum.
J.B. Mercer, head of Citizens for Hyperion, said that within the first hour he had gotten a dozen or so new names for the committee's e-mail list, bringing it to about 100, including some opponents.
Dale Harkness, leader of the opposition Save Union County group, said he had been busy visiting with acquaintances but would ask just one question: "Why would they ask the taxpayers of Union County to throw away the handbook they've gone under for 11 years?"
The handbook describes how to go about asking for rezoning, and, Harkness said, it states on Page 29 that agricultural land shall remain agricultural.
The refinery, as finally sited, would lie across the street from Harkness' driveway.
Several top Hyperion executives were on hand, as well, including project executives Preston Phillips and Corky Frank, retired president of Marathon Ashland Petroleum.
Frank said engineering for the project is still in progress and is very complex; it must be specific to the site, its land configurations and wind currents and meet other criteria.
Asked about the four pipelines needed to serve the refinery, Frank said the pipeline companies aren't interested in talking "until you have something firm." After that, rights of way and other logistics are the responsibility of the pipeline company.
BREAKOUT
Hyperion resources will host two more public forums on its proposed Hyperion Energy Center.
Today, 6 to 10 p.m., Dakota Valley Elementary School, 80 Northshore Drive, North Sioux City.
Wednesday, 6 to 10 p.m., Elk Point Jefferson High School, 402 Douglas St. Elk Point, S.D.
People began arriving at Beresford Community Center well ahead of the forum's scheduled 6 p.m. start. By 7 p.m. more than 200 had signed in.
Nine tables holding displays of specific facets of the project, ranging from an overview of Dallas-based Hyperion to the project's impact on air and water, its technology, labor shed and estimated economic impact on the area were spread around the community center. Each table was staffed by at least one company expert who has worked on the $10 billion Hyperion Energy Center.
Hyperion filed an application last week for the rezoning of 3,882 acres for the center, which would be anchored by a 400,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery and also produce some of its own electricity.
Hyperion maintains it is also considering other sites but hasn't publicly identified any.
'Amazing' aerial photo
A display of an aerial photo with a simulated refinery imposed on the actual site caught the attention of many landowners. It alone answered many questions.
Reed Bird, who farms some land within the refinery's proposed footprint, studied the fields and pointed to his home, just outside the boundary. He said he has sold an option on his house to Hyperion.
"It's kind of amazing to see the hills in the background," his mother, Maxine Bird, marveled. She and her husband, Ron Bird, have optioned much of their land to the company.
'It's a concern'
Jim Wennblom came from Elk Point, S.D. to ask his only question. "I'm an amateur radio operator, interested to see if they'll be causing any RF (radio frequency) noise," he said. He hadn't yet found the table at which to ask it, however.
Krishna Mastel of Vermillion, who said she holds degrees in biology and law, came to ask environmental questions. She said she was disappointed the answers weren't more specific.
She said the Hyperion representative she'd talked to about carbon dioxide emissions, which are currently unregulated, told her the company would support new standards as long as they are applied to everyone. "They're not going to lobby for it," she said.
"They're here saying they'll use the best control technology," Mastel said. "It's because they have to. It's the law."
For Stan Foltz of Vermillion, the questions were personal, although he hadn't yet asked them. An employee of Union County Electric Co-op, he wondered whether Hyperion was going to make all its own electricity and if not, from what other company would it buy power?
"They're taking a lot of our territory," he said. "It's a concern. That's where I draw my paycheck."
Marcella Buum said she lives six miles northwest of the proposed refinery site. She asked Hyperion's refinery/power plant air permitting expert, Tom Emmel, if she would smell the refinery.
He told her the sulfur byproduct is the worst smelling but that it would be in closed containers on rail cars inside a building.
"If that's true, it makes me happy," Buum said. "I'd like to have him sign on the dotted line."
Among Emmel's graphs was one that shows the refinery would emit fewer than 2,500 tons of air pollutants a year, 1/30 that of the George Neal plant at MidAmerican Energy's Port Neal facility near Sergeant Bluff, and 1/60 that of the Big Stone power plant near Milbank, S.D.
Emmel said Hyperion would apply for its air permits soon. He estimated they would take about one year to obtain.
Outspoken proponents and opponents of the facility were also at the informal forum.
J.B. Mercer, head of Citizens for Hyperion, said that within the first hour he had gotten a dozen or so new names for the committee's e-mail list, bringing it to about 100, including some opponents.
Dale Harkness, leader of the opposition Save Union County group, said he had been busy visiting with acquaintances but would ask just one question: "Why would they ask the taxpayers of Union County to throw away the handbook they've gone under for 11 years?"
The handbook describes how to go about asking for rezoning, and, Harkness said, it states on Page 29 that agricultural land shall remain agricultural.
The refinery, as finally sited, would lie across the street from Harkness' driveway.
Several top Hyperion executives were on hand, as well, including project executives Preston Phillips and Corky Frank, retired president of Marathon Ashland Petroleum.
Frank said engineering for the project is still in progress and is very complex; it must be specific to the site, its land configurations and wind currents and meet other criteria.
Asked about the four pipelines needed to serve the refinery, Frank said the pipeline companies aren't interested in talking "until you have something firm." After that, rights of way and other logistics are the responsibility of the pipeline company.
BREAKOUT
Hyperion resources will host two more public forums on its proposed Hyperion Energy Center.
Today, 6 to 10 p.m., Dakota Valley Elementary School, 80 Northshore Drive, North Sioux City.
Wednesday, 6 to 10 p.m., Elk Point Jefferson High School, 402 Douglas St. Elk Point, S.D.
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SiouxFallsBusinessMan wrote on Jun 4, 2008 5:06 PM:
Sincerely,
An Educated Citizen "
Billboard wrote on Jan 2, 2008 9:58 AM:
We should start with some of you
giving back Food Stamp money and
then getting an education and life
beyond knocking the Farm Families
that fed your fat faces. "
How about another bailout for your "Century Farm"? wrote on Dec 26, 2007 3:26 PM:
Hey, my ancestors came from Ireland during the potato famine. I wonder if I can go back there and ask for my family farm back? "
Union2 wrote on Dec 19, 2007 11:09 PM:
FNG wrote on Dec 15, 2007 11:56 AM: