<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Omega-Morgan has yet to receive a permit from the Idaho Department of Transportation.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of today's (December 17, 2013) Lewiston Tribune.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">----------------------------------</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="paragraph-1" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><h1 id="blox-asset-title" style="font-size: 30px; outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 34px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="blox-headline entry-title" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); line-height: 38px; font-family: TiresiasInfofontRegular, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Megaload expected near Idaho on Wednesday</span></h1><div><span class="blox-headline entry-title" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); line-height: 38px; font-family: TiresiasInfofontRegular, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;">ONTARIO, Ore. - A 450-ton shipment of oil refinery equipment making its way slowly across eastern Oregon has arrived at John Day and is expected to be near the Idaho border Wednesday.</p></span><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The so-called megaload travels at about 35 mph and blocks highways. It's allowed to move only at night and has to stop at intervals to allow traffic to pass. Protests and bad weather also have delayed it.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The equipment is headed for the Canadian tar sands oil development via Idaho and Montana.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The water purification equipment went by barge from Portland, where it was fabricated, to the Port of Umatilla. There, it was loaded onto a transport rig and headed south, mostly on U.S. 395, to John Day.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Ontario Argus Observer reported Monday that officials expect it at Vale Wednesday morning.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The load is the first of three scheduled shipments through eastern Oregon.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Near the Idaho border, residents have objected to the megaload's use of a 9-mile stretch of county road known as Clark Boulevard that will take the load around Nyssa, saying they were worried about its size and the potential for damage.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There are just a lot of questions that weren't asked and sure weren't answered," said Ontario resident Bob Moore.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Wes Allison, a supervisor for the Nyssa Rural Road District, said the state agency doesn't have authority to approve megaload travel on Clark Boulevard, but local authorities aren't going to block it.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 18px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Our roadways are public roadways, and to deny someone access to that, you'd have to have reason. You can't just pick and choose who you're going to let drive on the roads," he said. "We think they've addressed our concerns about the weight limitations. There's plenty of people in the community who are concerned about it, but I don't know that I can just tell them no and not have a good, solid reason to do that."</span></p></div></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">----------------------------------</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">"NO MEGALOADS!"</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.NoMegaloads.com">http://www.NoMegaloads.com</a><br></span><br><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> </div><div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Tom Hansen</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Moscow, Idaho</div><div><p align="center" style="text-align: start;"><i><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"This is the 'Mouse that Roared,' 'David and Goliath' and 'Avatar' all rolled into one. We must remember that the thousands of citizens involved in this effort to protect their personal and family safety, their businesses and their lifestyles are confronting some of the largest international corporations in the world."</font></i></p><p align="center" style="text-align: start;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">~ Linwood Laughy ~</i></p><div align="center"><center></center></div></div></div><div><div> </div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>