Alcester Union & Hudsonite Online

Attorney Todd Meierhenry speaks to the Union County Planning & Zoning Commission at a Public Hearing held on Elk Point on January 16. Over 500 people attended the hearing. (Photo by Paul Buum, Editor/Publisher)

ELK POINT – After a marathon session of public testimony last Wednesday night, the Union County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to recommend the rezoning of 3,800 acres of land in west-central Union County for the construction of a $10 billion energy center by Hyperion Resources of Dallas, TX.

The decision to allow the rezoning from Agricultural to a Planned Development District is now in the hands of the Union County Commission, who will decide whether to allow for the rezoning or not. If the commission votes in favor of rezoning, the final decision will likely go to the voters of Union County.

Over 100 people signed up to speak during the public hearing Wednesday night in the Elk Point-Jefferson school gym, with well over 500 people attending the event. Speakers were limited to three minutes to voice their opinions to the planning and zoning commission. A long list of ground rules for the hearing, which was moderated by Troy Mader of Beresford, were distributed prior to the start of the meeting.

While some spoke passionately either for or against the proposed energy center, most just said what they had to say and sat down, with little response from the audience. Mader called out two names at a time so that the second person named was ready to speak right away in an effort to keep the meeting moving along.

Several people wore bright orange T-shirts in opposition to the proposed refinery, while others wore green and white stickers in favor of it.

Some speakers questioned whether the planning and zoning commission had enough information from Hyperion to make an educated decision, and many voiced their concerns about potential pollution from the site.

Charles Albertson, a doctor at the Sanford Vermillion Hospital, issued copies of studies to the commission that link benzene, a by-product of an oil refinery, to childhood leukemia, and said he was concerned about the health of those who reside near the refinery.

Linda Farley of rural Alcester told the commission that the land should remain for agricultural use because ag land is being lost all the time and there needs to be enough ag land to feed the world.

Others said the proposed refinery would be a tremendous economic boost for the region.

Chris McGowan of the Tri-State Coalition in Sioux City said his group has studied the issue and estimates that, in addition to the 1,800 jobs at the energy center, another 5,000 jobs could be created as a result of it.

Jeff Holcomb, President of Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls, said he was in favor of the project and that schools in the state could develop education programs to teach students about “green” energy technology.

Don Jorgensen of Jefferson said that the opposition has been bombarding the public with negative comments and misinformation, and that he is in favor of the proposed project.

After nearly five hours of testimony, the planning and zoning commission voted to recommend the zoning change to the county commission. Some said they thought the planning and zoning commission made a hasty decision to vote on the issue immediately after the public testimony ended, but commissioner Dan Fullenkamp said the commission needed to move on the issue because they legally only had four days left to make their recommendation to the county commission so that it would fall within the 45-day timeframe.

Hyperion officials at the meeting told the commission that the rezoning would indeed be for an energy center as stated in the rezoning application, and not a landfill. Jason Quam, the head of Citizens Opposed to Oil Pollution, suggested during a press conference earlier in the week that the energy center was really a front, and after the rezoning took place the land would actually be used as a landfill for garbage from the East Coast.

The Union County Commission’s next scheduled meeting is slated for next Tuesday, January 29. It is likely that the commission will not take any action on the rezoning request before they hold more public hearings on the issue.

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