A high price

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?

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!!!

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.