LEWISTON, Idaho – Oil company ConocoPhillips is appealing an Idaho judge’s ruling this week that revoked special state permits allowing four oversized loads of oil refinery equipment through a federally protected river corridor.
Opponents of the shipments on U.S. Highway 12 say the appeal was filed Wednesday in the Idaho Supreme Court.
In Tuesday’s ruling, Second District Judge John Bradbury ordered the Idaho Transportation Department to review the shipments between Lewiston and Billings, Mont., to ensure public safety and convenience.
Environmentalists fear an accident with the shipments could harm the Clearwater and Lochsa rivers.
The ConocoPhillips equipment was due to precede Exxon Mobil Corp.’s proposed shipments of more than 200 oversized loads of oil machinery from Lewiston along Highway 12 into Montana, then on to the Kearl Oil Sands project in Alberta.