Fall River Residents Say No to Edgemont Soil Farm

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Voters in Fall River County have rejected a company's plan to take in and clean oil-contaminated soil near Edgemont.

Election officials counted the votes Tuesday, and residents defeated the ordinance 53 percent to 47 percent.

Fall River County State's Attorney James Sword says the project proposal by High Plains Resources is again headed to court, as a second lawsuit filed by the company challenges whether the ordinance should have ever been referred to a public vote.

Residents cast their votes back in November 2014, but the ballot boxes were locked away during a court fight over whether the county commission properly passed ordinances approving the project.

The state Supreme Court earlier this month ruled that the ballots should be counted.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.