Megaload opponents file objection to recommendation
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
What happens next with Imperial Oil’s proposal to ship more than 200 megaloads through Idaho on U.S. Highway 12 is now in the hands of the director of the Idaho Transportation Department.
Opponents filed a 33-page objection Monday to the recommendation of a hearing officer who sided with Imperial Oil after listening to testimony of the opponents, Imperial Oil, its contracted hauler and ITD.
“The director should reject the hearing officer’s proposed findings, conclusions and recommendations because the hearing officer applied an improper legal standard, erroneously assumed the petitioners had stipulated to certain facts and reached conclusions contradicted by the record,” according to the document.
ITD’s Director Brian Ness has 56 days to issue a final order.
The megaloads would take up two lanes of traffic as they travel at night. They would be required to pull over every 15 minutes to allow traffic to pass and be accompanied by an Idaho State Police trooper on overtime paid by the oil company.