Third Megaload Set to Depart
By: Carter Squires, CLDC intern
The third “Megaload” shipment is slated to leave the port of Umatilla this week. For those not following this issue, megaloads are extremely large pieces of equipment used to mine tarsands (the dirtiest, ecologically devastating substance used to make tarsands oil) being transported by massive trucks from Oregon to Alberta, Canada. These loads are uniquely large and long, ranging from 800,000 to 900,000 pounds and measuring up to 380 feet long. In comparison an average 18-wheeler may be 70,000 pounds and 55 feet long. Road widening and other extraordinary efforts must be made by States and local communities to accommodate this freakish load.
The first two loads were met with significant protest by opponents ranging from community members living along the route, fearing road damage to environmentalists and tribal members concerned with the effect of tarsands extraction and climate change impacts. On December 16, 2013, activists blockaded the route of the second truck, causing significant delays and resulting in 16 arrests. Police used pain compliance techniques to arrest two protesters blocking the road and arrested others while peacefully protesting. Bail was set at an outrageous $150,000, seen by many as a punitive measure in the conservative town of John Day. The Civil Liberties Defense Center has agreed to represent all of the activists pro bono (for free) in Grant County and Umatilla County—over 5 hours away from Eugene. The CLDC is also reviewing whether to file police misconduct claims against abusive law enforcement in order to prevent future repression and injury to non-violent activists.
Undoubtedly the third Megaload will meet resistance on its path from Oregon through Idaho and Montana to its final destination in Canada. Activists have already organized a protest in Portland, OR—the ninth regional action in the past month. Portland Rising Tide and Cascadia Forest Defenders invite all interested people to join them in the fight against unsafe transportation and tarsands extraction. To learn more or get involved visit: Cascadia Forest Defenders and Portland Rising Tide.
If you would like to support the efforts of the Civil Liberties Defense Center to defend these righteous activists, please go to https://cldc.org/support-cldc/donate/. Travel costs, discovery fees, and other expenses are mounting and your financial contribution will make a big difference. Thank you!