[Vision2020] Forest Service Worries About Regular Megaloads

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (January 16, 2011) Spokesman-Review.

---------------------------------------------------------

Forest Service worries about regular megaloads
Agency required to protect planned route
Associated Press

The Spokesman-Review  MISSOULA – A U.S. Forest Service official has told
transportation departments in Idaho and Montana that allowing oversized
shipments of oil-refinery equipment could conflict with the agency’s
ability to sustain the purpose of the Wild and Scenic River designations
along the route.

Northern Region Forester Leslie Weldon told the Missoulian that the
shipments could also harm the agency’s ability to “preserve, protect and
manage the cultural and historical values associated with the corridor.”

Weldon said the shipments are of special concern “should frequent
transport of significantly oversized loads become the norm for these
forest highways.”

ConocoPhillips wants to ship four giant loads containing coke drums from
Lewiston to its refinery in Billings. The company is currently waiting for
Idaho Transportation Director Brian Ness to make a decision on whether to
issue the permits. It’s unclear when a decision will be announced.

The Missoulian reports that Montana officials are ready to grant permits
in that state if Idaho issues permits.

Another oil company, ExxonMobil Corp., is interested in whether
ConocoPhillips gets the permits because ExxonMobil wants to use the same
route to truck more than 200 gigantic loads of oil equipment from
Lewiston, through Montana, to the tar sands of northern Alberta. It will
also need permits.

The proposed route of the shipments parallels the Northwest Passage Scenic
Byway, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Nez Perce National
Historic Trail and the Lolo Trail National Historic Landmark.

For 100 miles the route tightly borders the Lochsa and Clearwater rivers,
both federally designated Wild and Scenic rivers.

Forest Service officials said they became particularly concerned about
ConocoPhillips’ travel plan in Idaho concerning its transport contractor,
Emmert International. The company wrote: “To ensure safe public travel
during the move, Emmert is authorized to barricade the approved turnouts
for exclusive use for the wide loads up to 24 hours in advance for each
move.”

Officials say the barricades would cut off access to public land.

“We were a little bit surprised to read that,” said Elayne Murphy, public
affairs officer for the Clearwater and Nez Perce forests.

She told the newspaper that the agency contacted the Idaho Transportation
Department.

“They are working on alternate language that would ensure that visitors to
the national forest have access to the river, the recreation sites and the
lands along that Highway 12 corridor,” she said.

Murphy said officials are considering ways for forest visitors to pass
through barricaded turnouts to get to a river or camping.

---------------------------------------------------------

It seems that the only people that don't give a damn about this important
issue is the Moscow City Council.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs2EHXOxFSg

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown