Union County voters approve rezoning for oil refinery

Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Union County voters have approved the county commission's rezoning of 3,300 acres north of Elk Point for what would be the first new U.S. oil refinery in more than 30 years.

The measure passed Tuesday 58 to 42 percent, with nearly 6,800 votes cast.

Project executive Preston Phillips with Hyperion Resources says he was ecstatic with the vote and was not surprised it was close because it's a big, complex project.

Jason Quam of the group Citizens Opposed to Oil Pollution says his group will evaluate its next steps.

He says the vote was just one stop in a long process and must go through numerous environmental permitting steps and he doubts the company has the financing to get the refinery built.