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Editorial: Permitting for megaloads traveling in Idaho, Montana lacked coordination

Fri., July 22, 2011

The first of a proposed 207 megaloads of equipment bound for the Alberta tar sands left Lewiston on April 11. Since May 4, the truck and colossal trailer have become a roadside attraction at Lolo Hot Springs in Montana.

Meanwhile, a load cut down to allow it to clear freeway overpasses departed Lewiston on Friday and arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday. When the other half arrives, the two pieces will be reunited and towed farther north to the tar sands, a reservoir of oil potentially bigger than the reserves of Saudi Arabia.

The owner, Imperial Oil, is dismantling the 33 other components already landed in Lewiston so they, too, can be trucked along Interstates 90 and 15 to the Canadian border. Taking the units apart costs $500,000 each.

At least they will get to where they are going.

On Tuesday, a Montana judge issued an injunction that may well keep that roadside attraction in place for some time. He faulted the state’s Department of Transportation for relying on an Imperial Oil subcontractor to do a megaloads environmental study that, among other things, does not say how many of a projected 75 highway turnouts would be permanent and how many temporary. That’s a big deal along a route that follows some of Montana’s best trout streams, including the Blackfoot River, made famous by the book and film “A River Runs Through It.”

The more remarkable omission is consideration of the interstate highway route that got the cut-down load to its destination in five days. Said the judge: “Without such an analysis, it is unclear to the court at this time how MDT concluded that the Interstate Route was an unfeasible alternative.”

With the injunction in place, Imperial and the state must await the setting of a trial date to resolve the issues raised by those challenging the shipments: three environmental groups and Missoula County. If the challengers win, there is no telling how long it might take to prepare a revised environmental assessment.

Yet a spokeswoman for Imperial said U.S. Highway 12 remains the preferred route from Lewiston to Missoula, and Highway 200 from Missoula to Great Falls, where the trucks would turn north on I-15. She could not comment on what decision Imperial and partner ExxonMobil might make on travel routes if they undertake other oil sands projects in the future and import more Korean-made equipment.

The permitting snafus in Montana, and minor upsets in a less demanding Idaho, have certainly given the companies cause to reassess a process that began in both states three years ago. It also suggests the two states should step back after the Imperial/ExxonMobil modules are gone to consider how they might coordinate their reviews of future megaloads even if their environmental standards are different.

All users of Highway 12 deserve better than a permitting road to nowhere.