________________________________________ From: Jim H Clark [[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 2:29 PM To: Redmond, Jim Subject: Re: Leopold /Culver take some heat Jim--I think you should send this to our chapter excom listserv. I don't think it has been in the DM Register. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Redmond, Jim" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 2:17 PM Subject: Leopold /Culver take some heat From: Redmond, Jim Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 2:16 PM To: Redmond, Jim; Neila Seaman; Carrels, Peter; Jane Clark Cc: John H. Davidson; James F Heisinger Subject: Leopold /Culver take some heat Wednesday, the following story appeared in the Sioux City Journal; was something similar in the Register also? Concerned citizen has a great response Jim I think the weakness of Paulsen's response could be used in a letter to the editor. Reference only to jobs, not to public safety and health through proper permitting. House GOP leader blasts DNR letter on project • Story • Discussion By Dave Dreeszen [log in to unmask] | Posted: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 10:15 pm | (2) Comments DES MOINES -- The top Republican in the Iowa House called on Gov. Chet Culver Tuesday to end the state's environmental scrutiny of an oil refinery planned in neighboring South Dakota. The GOP leader, Rep. Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said Iowa Department of Natural Resources director Richard Leopold, in the form of letters and potential lawsuits has "thrown up roadblocks" that threaten the Hyperion Energy Center. The 400,000-barrel-per day refinery and power plant would be built in rural Union County, S.D., about a half-hour drive north of Sioux City. Paulsen noted the $10 billion project would create thousands of new jobs, many of which would spill over into the Sioux City area. More than 1,450 local workers lost their jobs this spring when John Morrell closed its pork plant, he noted. "I'm calling on the governor to order Leopold to stand down and stop preventing new jobs for Iowans," Paulsen said in a statement. Culver's office shot back at Paulsen late Tuesday afternoon. "We just wish Rep. Paulsen was as concerned with job creation in Iowa and his own legislative district as he is with job creation in South Dakota," Culver spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm said in an email. "Rep. Paulsen has tried to kill more than 7,000 new jobs the i-JOBS program has created this year in Iowa." At Culver's urging, the Democratically-controlled Legislature pushed through $800 million in bonding for flood repairs and other infrastructure work. Culver also defended Leopold's actions regarding Hyperion, saying the director is "helping us protect the enviroment and create jobs with dozens of water quality projects the DNR is working on with I-JOBS funds statewide." Earlier this month, Leopold, appointed by the Democrat governor after he took office in 2007, formally asked for an environmental impact statement for the refinery. "While the effects of Hyperion Energy Center on Iowa may or may not be significant, verification by both Iowa and the federal government is important," Leopold said in letter addressed to Steve Pirner, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The S.D. DENR has not yet responded to Leopold's letter. In an earlier interview with the Journal, Leopold expressed concern that emissions from the refinery could cause pollution in western Iowa, and limit future industrial growth in Sioux City. Paulsen pointed out the South Dakota DENR approved an air quality permit for the energy center. Opponents, including the Sierra Club and two local groups, went to court to overturn the decision. In June, a judge put the appeal on hold after granting Hyperion's request to return the permitting process to the state Board of Minerals and Environment. Hyperion said it intends to amend its application to include new rules implemented by the EPA since the permit was granted. Posted in Local, Local on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 10:15 pm Updated: 10:21 pm. | Tags: Hyperion, Iowa, Chet Culver, Legislature, South Dakota, Union County, Elk Point, Refinery http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_4135c05e-ccb3-5625-a463-81d06e4206a8.html?mode=story Concerned Citizen said on: August 4, 2010, 11:35 am The fact is the SD DENR should have required an Environmental Impact Statement long before the vote to rezone. The DENR, BME, and HEC were afraid if the truth about the inescapable pollution of air and water were known to the public, they would not have public support. HEC was so secretive; they would not even admit that they might be planning to build a refinery on the land they were asking the farmers to option. Soon those options will expire. Then what? Will they put up serious money to buy the land? Where is their oil source? The current pipelines go elsewhere. It will take another large chunk of money to acquire the water. The job applications submitted (for publicity only) are turning yellow in the drawer! http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_4135c05e-ccb3-5625-a463-81d06e4206a8.html?mode=story ________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. 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