SLAPSHOT digs up a doozy, the first oil refinery to be built in the United States of American since 1976 has passed zoning a vote in Union County, South Dakota. The measure passed 58% for to 42% against. The Save Union County (interesting ACRONYM, SUC!) group which opposes the refinery promises regulatory delays and lawsuits.
While Mr. Fu sympathizes with the complaints of some of the citizens, the question remains, who is going to get the refineries? This is like an upscaled water treatment plant, we need them but very few people want them in their back yard. But something will be done in this country to fix the price of high gasoline. The short term answer is domestic production and refining. Mr. Fu is willing to bet the same people opposing this refinery have complained about the high price of gasoline and diesel fuel. That is irony.
There are complaints about the smell, one comment is,“Ever drive through the oil country in Kansas, Oklahoma, or Texas? The smell is very strong.” Ah, wow, you live in like South Dakota, not like there are not feed lots in South Dakota, and they smell just as bad or worse.
Mr. Fu suspects that even if they were talking about putting in a melt-down proof, non-smelling, non-polluting, non-radioactive emitting nuclear power plant that these same people would complain. There are always complainers and always some reason not to do something that is of benefit. As some British politician quoted some poet regarding the attitudes of some liberal, “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”
Wilson Fu 
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