Sioux City Journal

EPA not satisfied with Hyperion draft air permit

2:04 PM

By Meagan Sexton
msexton@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Friday, November 21, 2008

DENVER -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has some serious concerns regarding the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources draft preconstruction air quality permit for the proposed $10 billion, 400,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery and energy center near Elk Point, S.D.

The EPA sent a 23-page letter to DENR with critical comments and recommendations about how to improve its draft permit for Dallas-based Hyperion Refining. The South Dakota agency received the letter Nov. 14.

"These are incredibly complex permits, and it was a huge undertaking for the state of South Dakota," said Callie Videtich, director of the Air and Radiation Program for EPA Region 8 in Denver. "This isn't any different than how we comment on any other permits. This one, specifically, we had quite a few comments. We're providing them with comments on what we think would make a stronger permit."

Kim Smith, spokesman for DENR, said the department has been asked by the South Dakota Attorney General's Office not to speak about any matter involving the draft permit or Hyperion.

"We've been told that it's contested and not to discuss it," Smith said. "Comments will come out during the (hearing) process."

The contested-case hearing has been set for May and June in Pierre, S.D.

Smith said DENR has 30 days to prepare comments and hopes to get them out to people in a timely manner.

Read more of this story Saturday in the Journal and at siouxcityjournal.com.

Story Comments

EPJeff wrote on Nov 29, 2008 3:44 PM:

" To Observer wrote on Nov 28, 2008 6:05 PM:

You are clearly a partisan observer, because what you describe has never happened. If you can find anywhere that I have done what you said, I will buy you a Coke. I have only said someone was charlatan that has made fraudulent or exaggerated claims, or told outright lies.That is what a charlatan is. Even so, I have only done that 3 or 4 times. That is one of my favoriate things? So either you dont read the responses here that often, or you are attacking me.

For example, UnCoGal kept posting messages that IGCCs do not yet exist and experts stated they may never exist. I point here to a website by GE where one can purchase IGCCs today and have been doing so since 1984. So if GE has been selling IGCCs since 1984, how can they not exist or experts state they may never happen? She was deliberatly lying. There is no reason to lie.

So I catch someone deliberately lying, and you conclude I reap what I sow? I guess having the upper hand is not doing you much good. "

EPJeff wrote on Nov 29, 2008 3:20 PM:

" To Keith F wrote on Nov 28, 2008 12:45 PM:

The last new refinery in the US was built in 1976. It took 7 years to get all of the permits approved for the Arizona refinery. That refinery is going to be a clean refinery similar to Hyperion but process only 150K barrels per day.

It is not just me many these people hate. They personally attack anyone that is pro-Hyperion. They do not argue points of view, because they are against the refinery no matter what. "

EPJeff wrote on Nov 29, 2008 1:37 PM:

" To Dakota Woman wrote on Nov 25, 2008 4:59 PM:

I would be obsessed if I neglected my job or family because I posting on here so frequently. I can't speak for you, but a single message takes me between 1 and 5 minutes. I post no more than an average of 2 to 3 messages per day. Do the math and you get that I spend no more than 15 out of 1,440 minutes per day. You think most people would consider that an obsession. Either way, does it matter? Surely you have better things to think about than my obsessions.

How many jobs do you think I have? What would it matter if Hyperion were paying me? Is this not a free country? "

Observer wrote on Nov 28, 2008 6:05 PM:

" Keith F - You apparently don't read the Hyperion responses often. EPJeff's favorite thing in the past has been to tag people who disagree with him as charlatans. "You are a charlatan" has been his favored response. He reaps what he sows. "

Keith F wrote on Nov 28, 2008 12:45 PM:

" Since this is the first refinerey built in 30 years (maybe 20) you might want to keep in mind that no one has had to complete one of these PRE-CONSTRUCTION forms for a refinery in that time. There are bound to be mistakes. Then again, I thought someone in Arizona was trying to get one built? Are they very far along? Did their documents pass the first time? Many of you seem to hate EPJeff because he disagrees with your point of view. Don't attack him - attack his point of view. Then again, maybe he has personally attacked some one else. That is no way to debate a topic. "