Judge stops megaloads in Montana

Wed., July 20, 2011

MISSOULA – A Montana judge on Tuesday upheld a request by Missoula County and three conservation groups to stop Imperial Oil/Exxon Mobil from transporting massive oilfield equipment modules through the western part of the state.

The Missoulian reports District Judge Ray Dayton of Anaconda issued his decision shortly before 5 p.m. to partially grant a preliminary injunction against the Montana Department of Transportation and the company. The judge said the transportation department erred in approving Imperial Oil’s proposal to transport 200 megaloads of processing equipment from Idaho to the Kearl Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, by way of U.S. Highway 12, Highway 200 and other two-lane roads in Montana.

Imperial Oil is the Canadian arm of Exxon Mobil.

Dayton agreed with the county and the other plaintiffs – the National Wildlife Federation, the Montana Environmental Information Center and the Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club – that MDT violated the Montana Environmental Policy Act because it approved an insufficient environmental assessment.

He also said the impact of turnouts constructed along the route could not be fully determined because the state transportation department could not say which ones were permanent and which ones were temporary.

Dayton said he could not rescind encroachment permits that have already been issued by MDT. But he warned that additional construction would be at Imperial Oil’s “peril” because further permitting could eventually become permanently prohibited.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.