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Residents and business owners in northern Idaho have been
acting as a joined force in effort to block shipment of massive oil processing
equipment from passing through their communities. The group has been working to
prevent the shipments since fall 2010, but have been told to back down.
The issue began when resident Linwood Laughy realized that
oil giant, ConocoPhillips, would be using the Idaho back-roads as a way to ship
equipment to Vancouver, Washington, Montana, and Alberta. This route would
allow the oil company to save time and money in transportation expenses, as
they'd otherwise have to go through the Panama Canal to other overland routes.
Laughy noted that the shipped loads were too large to move
quickly; in fact, the ~600,000 lb., three-story tall, and 24 ft. wide shipments
would move so slowly that the both lanes of the highway would be blocked for
nearly 100 miles when they passed through.
Along with his wife Borg Hendrickson, Laughy filed a lawsuit
against the state of Idaho to stop the shipments from Conoco, as their driveway
intersects with the route in question. In their lawsuit, they argued that using
this route would "threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12
[some of the last remaining tracts of wild land in the country]" and the safety
of the communities who depend on the highway as their main road.
Revised Permits
Amidst litigation, the oil company worked with state transportation
officials to refine the proposed route and shipment qualifications. The permits
now allow Conoco to move two coke drums that are split into four shipments
across Idaho and into Montana. Transportation of the loads is to be done in
stages, at night, and at low speeds. The guidelines also include regular
pull-outs that will allow traffic to flow normally and reduce blockage.
These new guidelines became official after residents failed
to persuade regulators that the route should be completely blocked. Hendrickson
told The New York Times that the group plans to focus their energy on
larger procession of oil processing equipment that is believed to be waiting in
the wings. They continue to fight against the transformation and use of historical
rural routes into an "industrial corridor."
Source: The
New York Times January 2011, October
2010
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Re: Standstill over Processing Equipment Delivery Ends
