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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

ConocoPhillips appeals load ruling

BOISE – ConocoPhillips is appealing to the Idaho Supreme Court 2nd District Judge John Bradbury’s ruling revoking its state permits to move four giant loads of oil refinery equipment over U.S. Highway 12 from Lewiston to Montana. (Read the appeal.)

The company contends the three Highway 12 river canyon residents and business owners who sued over the shipments don’t really have standing to sue, because any possible harm to them is “speculative” and “hypothetical.”

The firm also questions the judge’s ruling that the Idaho Transportation Department violated regulations requiring a “reasonable determination of necessity” before approving such oversize loads; and charged that the court considered some evidence it shouldn’t have and ignored other evidence it should have examined.

Conoco also asked the high court to speed up its handling of the appeal; the firm had hoped to begin moving the equipment by now; it’s been at the Port of Lewiston since May.