Elk Point, South Dakota
Encyclopedia
Elk Point is a city in Union County
Union County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,584 people, 4,927 households, and 3,517 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 5,345 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...

, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is part of the Sioux City
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....

, IA
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

NE
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area
Sioux City metropolitan area
The Sioux City Metropolitan Statistical Area, otherwise known as Siouxland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties in three states – Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, anchored by the city of Sioux City, Iowa...

. The population was 1,963 as of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Union County
Union County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,584 people, 4,927 households, and 3,517 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 5,345 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...

.

Geography

Elk Point is located at 42°41′8"N 96°40′54"W (42.685512, -96.681789).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.5 km²), all of it land.

Elk Point has been assigned the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 57025 and the FIPS place code 18620.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 1,714 people, 682 households, and 459 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,276.0 people per square mile (493.9/km²). There were 750 housing units at an average density of 558.4 per square mile (216.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.54% White, 0.18% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.18% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 682 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,157, and the median income for a family was $48,056. Males had a median income of $35,509 versus $22,885 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $18,153. About 5.5% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Gorilla Project

The Dallas-based energy firm Hyperion Resources Inc. announced on June 13, 2007 that area north of Elk Point, near Spink, was a finalist for a new oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...

. The facility, which would process 400000 barrels (63,594.9 m³) of oil a day and use 12 million USgals (45,424.9 m³) of water daily from the Missouri River, has caused significant controversy among concerned residents of Elk Point and the surrounding area. Prior to the announcement, the project was kept under considerable secrecy, and was known only as "Project Gorilla" while Hyperion made several purchase agreements on land north and east of Elk Point. Elk Point is the forerunner among three other out-of-state locations Hyperion is considering for construction of the massive, 2000 acres (8.1 km²) refinery.

Opponents are concerned about air
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....

, water
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....

, and noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...

; environmental degradation of nearby food crops such as soy beans, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

, and alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...

; negative effects on the ethanol fuel market
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...

 and competition with local ethanol producing farmers; displacement of some local residents and population resettling; potential industrial disasters
Industrial disasters
This article lists notable industrial disasters, which are disasters caused by industrial companies, either by accident, negligence or incompetence. They are a form of industrial accident where great damage, injury or loss of life are caused....

 including explosions, leaks, and spills, reminiscent of the recent explosion at a similar-capacity Texas City Oil Refinery
Texas City Refinery (BP)
On March 23, 2005, a fire and explosion occurred at BP's Texas City Refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers and injuring more than 170 others. BP was charged with criminal violations of federal environmental laws, and has been subject to lawsuits from the victims' families...

 that caused the deaths of 15 workers and injured over 100; contamination potential threats of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

; and concerns of the sheer size of the facility, which will be over twice the area of Elk Point itself.

Supporters argue that the facility will bring a much-needed economic boost to the Union County area, and would create over 4,500 new construction jobs and employ 1,800 full-time workers once completed. Hyperion representatives have also promised that the corporation would "go the extra mile" to protect the environment.

Notable natives

  • Chuck Tollefson
    Chuck Tollefson
    Charles Tollefson was an American football player. He played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, winning one World Championship. Prior to joining the Packers, Tollefson attended the University of Iowa....

    , an American football
    American football
    American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

     player for the Green Bay Packers
    Green Bay Packers
    The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

    .

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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