Sioux City Journal

Delay tactics 'should be criminal'

Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008

JEFFERSON, S.D. -- After 58 percent of the voters of Union County said they wanted Hyperion's oil refinery to be built in Union County, Ed Cable, chairman of Save Union County, said his group had strategieis in place to slow or delay all the permit processes. Holding true to his promise, when the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a draft air permit for public comment in September, Mr. Cable said the permit would be challenged, then he declined further comment until he could actually read the document.

This kind of attitude and mentality over the last 30 years has contributed to many of the problems we have in our country today. Groups like Save Union County aren't acting in the best interest of the people of Union County and South Dakota. Their motivation is twofold: 1) They selfishly don't want development in their backyard and will say or do anything to stop it. 2) They are pawns for West Coast environmental groups that are blindly opposed to almost all development. The billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of good paying jobs brought to our region in an environmentally responsible manner isn't important to them. But to the millions of hard-working Americans having a hard time putting food on the table, development like this is critical.

Hyperion is the shot in the arm that America needs right now. These delay tactics that Save Union County endorses should be criminal. As the old saying goes, if you're not moving forward you're going backwards. In times like these, delay is not an option. -- Christine Boulware

Story Comments

Alsen Resident wrote on Nov 18, 2008 5:04 PM:

" AnnieO, Hydroelectric in the USA will no longer be exploited thanks to NIMBY's (see this web site www.groept.be/www/dam//HYDROpower.htm) Solar panels are extremly expensive and most folks cannot afford to have them installed. I have already said that I am all for harnessing the wind but the fact is that even after the wind farms are complete and massive solar panels put in place they will only produce 10% of our nation's electrical needs. Besides who ever said that we have to stop the pursuit of these fine energy souces just because a new refinery is built? "

Your mother wrote on Nov 14, 2008 11:44 PM:

" TO EPJEFF:
ALL THE HOT AIR FROM YOU MOUTH!!! "

EPJeff wrote on Nov 13, 2008 11:28 AM:

" To AnnieO wrote on Nov 11, 2008 3:42 PM:

Very nice of you to answer Alsen Resident's question. I have to admit you provided an accurate and honest answer. I have no argument against your response. However, I have a question for you.

Which of the clean alternatives you provided or other clean alternative not listed can power a freight train or 747? "

AnnieO wrote on Nov 11, 2008 3:42 PM:

" AlsenResident, hydro-electric, solar, wind energy, advancements in solar batteries and storage cells for wind energy. New home construction with solar panels built in, the technology is already here. I said grain based fuels are one option not THE option. We are better served with companies willing to research and develop clean energies than open our arms wide to that mammoth petri dish of pollution called Hyperion. "

Alsen Resident wrote on Nov 11, 2008 2:15 PM:

" AnnieO, just where is all the clean electricity going to come from? I am all for harnessing the wind to make electricity but the cold hard fact is that with all the wind mills and massive solad panels in place they will only produce 10% of our nation's needs. Before you have said that grain based fuels are the answer to replace oil. What do they use to refine the grain based fuel? Massive amounts of natural gas and water. Natural gas is also a fuel that is not renewable. So in a way using grain as a renewable fuel is not so renewable. "