Farmers fight plans for new oil refinery
Story Highlights
Texas company unveils plans for $10 billion oil refinery in South Dakota
Facility would be first refinery built in United States in 30 years
Secrecy surrounds initial plans and many questions remain unanswered
Project pits neighbor against neighbor, with some farmers promising legal fight
By Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston
CNN Special Investigations Unit
ELK POINT, South Dakota (CNN) -- Farmland stretches as far as the eye can see -- row upon row of corn stalks waving in the breeze. It's an unlikely place to watch America debate its energy crisis but a battle is raging in this corner of South Dakota over what could be the nation's first new oil refinery in 30 years.
Plans were kept secret for months but residents of Union County have now voted in favor of rezoning land for a $10-billion refinery capable of converting 400,000 barrels of Canadian oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel every day.
But while the county as a whole favored the project by a 58 percent majority on June 3, most of the rural voters whose land would be affected by the refinery said no.
"I'll keep fighting it," said farmer Dale Harkness, whose front yard could one day face the refinery, which would also need a pipeline to be built.
He and his wife, Carol, vow to fight in the courts to prevent a project they say is speculative at best, and at worst will pollute the land, creeks and skies of this tiny town for generations to come.
"They will never build here. 150 years from now someone will be enjoying that land and this land," Harkness said, pointing to the property around him. Watch farmers and the local mayor react to the refinery plan »
"They" is a Dallas-based company called Hyperion Energy, which says the plant will be a first-of-its kind "clean" refinery. It has never built a refinery and concedes it doesn't currently have the money to build this one either...
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