The contentious Kearl Module Transportation Project is officially history.
Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil has withdrawn an application for permits to transport hundreds of oversized loads over Lolo Pass and up the Blackfoot River to Canada, the Montana Department announced Wednesday morning in a notice to district court judge Ray Dayton. <Read More>
Brief background:
In February 2012, MEIC and several partners succeeded in a lawsuit challenging the Montana Department of Transportation’s decision to issue oversized load transportation permits to Imperial Oil, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil. The basis for our challenge was an inadequate and shoddy analysis under the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). The permits would have allowed Imperial Oil to proceed with the Kearl Module Transportation Project, which involved hauling over 200 loads of mega-sized tar sands processing equipment through Montana. This decision reaffirms that State agencies are the gatekeepers of the public interest and must comply with MEPA when making decisions that impact the human and natural environment.
