February 3 - Further to our previous reports, in the USA, an 11th-hour news conference against megaloads failed to convince the Idaho Transportation Department to revoke a permit for the first oversized load from starting its journey from Lewiston to Bill
Opponents had previously cited concerns that the megaloads might hurt a bustling tourist trade and damage the fragile ecosystem adjacent to US Highway 12, the road the cargo is using.
Local media reports quote Adam Rush, a spokesman for ITD as saying that given the amount of research, the amount of planning and the amount of preparations, ITD is confident the loads can move safely.
The oversized loads are destined for the rehabilitation of a ConocoPhillips refinery.
Assuming ITD issues permits for them, more than 200 megaloads with Korean-made pieces of a processing plant forExxonMobil/Imperial Oil could follow. Those are bound for the Kearl Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada. No permits have been issued for them.
The first legal challenge against the ConocoPhillips megaloads was made last Summer but that was abandoned last week in favour of focusing on the plans of ExxonMobil/Imperial Oil.
