Air quality permit approved for oil refinery

An air quality permit has been approved for a South Dakota oil refinery, it has been reported.

The $10 billion (£6 billion) oil refinery that Hyperion Resources plans to build in Dallas met state environmental requirements and has been granted the permit by the Board of Minerals and Environment, according to the Associated Press.

Hyperion vice-president Preston Phillips said the authorisation was significant in regards to the firm's plan to begin building in 2011 and commence operations in 2015.

"We're ecstatic, very excited," he said. "I think the permit reflects Hyperion's commitment to responsibly developing a project in terms of the environment."

However, lawyer Robert Graham, from Chicago, who represents those opposing the scheme, claimed that the board should deny the permit because Hyperion has failed to prove that the refinery will meet air quality standards.

In related news, the Austin Business Journal reported that the US Environmental Protection Agency recently urged residents and businesses across Central Texas to help improve levels of air pollution in the state.

Written by Claire Manning