Megaload is parked until Sunday, Dec. 1
Published 4:00 pm Monday, November 25, 2013
- <p>Protesters huddle in the dark out in front of the 450-ton "megaload" oil refinery equipment on Monday at the Port of Umatilla.</p>
UMATILLA The megaload isn’t going anywhere until Dec. 1.
Industrial hauler Omega Morgan had planned to start moving the load across Eastern Oregon to Idaho on Sunday, Nov. 24, but ran into loading issues both Sunday and Monday nights at the Port of Umatilla.
That left just one night available for moving before the load would have been required to park off the highway throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The Oregon Department of Transportation announced Tuesday morning that the new schedule calls for the load to leave Sunday evening, Dec. 1.
The journey from Umatilla to Homedale, Idaho, is expected to take at least a week and possibly more, depending on weather and road conditions.
The load is the first of three Omega Morgan plans to move in December and January.
It will be hauled on segments of Interstate 84, U.S. 395, U.S. 26, U.S. 20, Oregon 201 and other roads.
The load has drawn environmental protesters to Umatilla because of its expected final destination, the tar sands oil development in Alberta, Canada. The load is described as an evaporator used in refinery operations.
