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December 25 Volume 37 ~ Number 52 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
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Megaload Headed Towards Camas County Terrorism in America
Built in 1925, the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregon, has seen a great many changes over the years including an increase in traffic to over 30,000 vehicles a day. At the age of 87, however, it is time for this bridge which crosses the Willamette River to be replaced. This sort of project does not come without certain problems. The environmental issues associated with removing the bridge would add up to a year of construction time while at the same time detouring 11 million vehicles a year. The solution? Move the bridge to make room for the new construction. Great idea, only the Sellwood Bridge is just under a quarter of a mile long (1100 feet) and weighs in at 3400 tons.
All in a day’s work for the folks at Omega Morgan, a Pacific Northwest moving company that specializes in moving very, very large things. Not counting all the preparation time, moving the Sellwood bridge only took sixteen hours, and saved Multnomah County millions of dollars. According to county managers, “This is one of the longest, oldest structures to be moved in this way.” Here in Southern Idaho, most of us may never see one of these kinds of moves, but in the next couple of weeks, Omega Morgan will be making the first of three smaller moves across Southern Idaho as they transport megaloads on their way to the Alberta Tar Sands in Canada.
The water purification units are longer than a football field and weigh 800 to 900 thousand pounds. Because these loads take up the whole roadway (24 feet wide), they will only be allowed to move at night (between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.). This also means the moving company can not travel on Interstate 84 except for short sections. The megaloads will enter Idaho near Homedale, travel southwest through Marsing and Murphy, then across to Hammett where they will use I84 to reach Mountain Home. From there the loads will travel along Highway 20 to Fairfield, Carey, and Arco, then over to Highway 28 (Leadore, Lemhi and Tendoy), and north to Salmon. From there they will travel U.S. 93 to Montana. Despite delays from winter weather and protests in Oregon, the first transport entered Idaho on Monday morning. The load will not be moving from Christmas Eve through December 26th. That means the megaload could come through the Fairfield sometime next week.
Most of us think of religious or political extremists when we think about terrorism, or we make the mistake of trying to link lone shooters or bombers with such activities. According to the FBI, however, the most dangerous terrorist groups and the organizations that are most likely to affect Americans and their property, are environmental and animal rights extremists. Using arson and explosives, groups such as the Animal Liberation Front, the Earth Liberation Front, and other such organizations, are far ahead of other terrorist groups in terms of damage, number of violent crimes, and terrorist actions, While most animal rights and eco-extremists have refrained from violence targeting human life, the FBI has seen troubling signs that this is changing. Rising Tide is a group that is protesting the Megaloads headed across Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, because of their belief in Human Caused Climate Change. While generally peaceful, members of this group have caused property damage on several occasions and set up illegal blockades. Peaceful protest (even if it based on false ideas) should always be protected as a form of free speech. But, when it crosses the line into bullying tactics and/ or criminal activity, we all lose the ability to exchange ideas.