Nation - Idaho Residents ask judge to halt big oil trucks Opposition to shipments has been building among environmentalists

By Todd Dvorak Associated Press Writer BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Three Idaho residents are asking a state judge to put the brakes on the first wave of oversized shipments of equipment that oil companies are hoping to haul along U.S. Highway 12, the curvy and scenic roadway that cuts across northcentral Idaho. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Grangeville, seeks a temporary restraining order barring ConocoPhillips from hauling four shipments from the port in Lewiston to Billings, Mont., where the company operates a refinery. The shipments of coke drums -- each exceeding the legal state limits for weight, height and length -- are scheduled to begin as early as Wednesday. They also represent the first of dozens of oversized loads planned for the next year along a corridor that traces the Clearwater and Lochsa rivers and once traveled by explorers Lewis and Clark. Exxon Mobil Corp. is eyeing the same path to haul an estimated 200 truckloads of heavy Korean-made oil equipment destined for the Kearl Oil Sands in Alberta. Officials estimate each load will weigh more than 300 tons, reach 27 feet high and stretch 29 feet wide, which would take up both lanes of the roadway. Opposition to the shipments has been building for months among environmentalists, business and motel owners and residents who live along the corridor. The plaintiffs claim the oversized shipments could harm tourism, pose a risk for a federally protected river system and threaten public safety for commuters and emergency services. The lawsuit also contends the Idaho Department of Transportation violated its own rules when issuing permits for the ConocoPhillips shipments. "Whether Highway 12 will remain an outstanding tourist and recreation destination that provides jobs and revenues to the local community or become a congested industrial 'high and wide' corridor for the conveniences of the oil industry ... are matters of great concern to the plaintiffs and many others in the area," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit was filed by Linwood Laughy and his wife Karen "Borg" Hendrickson, who live along the route, and Peter Grubb, owner of a travel adventure business and lodge along the Lochsa River. Despite the massive scale of the loads, state and company officials claim the trucks, using multiple axles, will have little impact on the highway's structural integrity. Rules require the trucks, which will take up both lanes and travel only at night, to pull over every 15 minutes to allow traffic to pass. The agency has yet to issue permits for the loads, which engineers have analyzed for their impact to roads, bridges and traffic flow. Typically, the state issues about four oversized-load permits a year for U.S. 12 for transport of houses, farm implements or wind turbines. Transportation Department spokesman Jeff Stratten did not comment on the lawsuit. Stratten also said the state is requiring ConocoPhillips to post a $10 million bond to cover any damage caused by the loads. But plaintiff Peter Grubb said the state is teetering on setting a precedent that could alter the culture and environmental landscape of the region. "The next thing you know is this pristine area becomes the corridor of choice for kinds of huge things companies need to get from one place to another," Grubb said. "The idea that megaloads moving up these twisty, winding roads at slow speeds, that it can be done safe for the public and environment is absurd." District Judge John Bradbury has not yet scheduled a hearing on the motion for the restraining order. Published: Thu, Aug 19, 2010

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