The Nez Perce blockaded megaloads in Idaho earlier this year
from Earth First! Newswire
The Tar Sands development is seeking a new route for hauling large equipment up to Alberta, Canada to continue the massive devastation of turning vast boreal forests into toxic sludge pits. This is poisoning the soil, air, water, plants, wildlife, local communities, and indigenous people. These equipment loads also contribute to climate chaos at a tipping point scale, which would exacerbate catastrophic storms, droughts, famines, mass human emigrations and conflicts, and species extinctions (polar bears, pikas, amphibians, plants…).
The new route to bypass a legal injunction blocking the use of US Highway 12 in Montana and mass protests in Northern Idaho and Montana is now in Eastern Oregon, where they expect little to no opposition from small, remote rural communities. The new route would transport tar sand production equipment from the Port of Umatilla, East on I-84 to Pendleton, South on US-395 along the North Fork of the scenic John Day River to Mt. Vernon, then East on US-26 through the towns of John Day and Prairie City to Ontario, OR and from there to Idaho and then up to Alberta.
Any movement of equipment to facilitate Tar Sands production is contributing to ecological devastation on a massive scale (big toxic sludgy clearcut the size of Florida!), the ongoing genocide of First Peoples, and catastrophic climate change and species extinctions.
With no public process*, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is poised to issue three permits to Omega Morgan company to haul three loads during the night (10pm-6am) on November 24th, in mid-December, and the first week of January. If these loads go through, we can expect this route to become an industrial corridor for many such loads.
Help us stop Tar Sands shipments and production!Call or email the Oregon Department of Transportation, and tell them:
1. to start an immediate and transparent public process prior to permit issuance, by which people can voice their concerns and/or opposition.
2. to analyze in writing the ecological, safety, and public infrastructure maintenance impacts of shipping tar sands equipment on proposed and optional routes through Eastern Oregon or anywhere else and make this analysis available for public comment for at least 45 days.
3. to send you, in writing, ALL their records of interactions with Omega Morgan Co. prior to issuance of any permit to them, including phone conversations, emails, letters, notes from meeting, faxes, etc. Ask for any form that ODOT may require for you to submit such a request.
ODOT Contacts:
Region 5 Headquarters
3012 Island Avenue
La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-963-3177 FAX: 541-963-9079
Hours of Operation: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Region 5 Manager
Monte Grove
(541) 963-3177
Public Information Officer
Tom Strandberg
(541) 963-1330
FOR ROADWAY HAZARDS PLEASE CONTACT
ODOT AT 541-383-0121
