The first of three so-called “megaloads” continued its eastern Oregon road trip overnight on Tuesday, leaving Pendleton shortly after 9 pm and traveling about 50 miles south on Highway 395.

The massive shipment of tar sands equipment destined for Alberta, Canada, arrived near Ukiah early on Wednesday morning.  From there, it is scheduled to head farther south into Mount Vernon and east through John Day, before heading east on Highway 26 and crossing state lines into southern Idaho. Continue reading →

CTUIR Chair Burke Megaloads Letter to Governor Kitzhaber

Megaload shipments through Eastern Oregon and Idaho received another blow this week in the form of a strongly worded letter from the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), stating concern over the impacts of megaloads and tar sands mining.

In the letter sent Monday, the newly elected Umatilla Chair of the Board of Trustees Gary Burke explains, “First, ODOT [Oregon Department of Transportation] did not adequately consult with the CTUIR on a government-to-government level prior to issuing the [megaload] permit.  Second, the CTUIR has strong concerns regarding the potential long-term and indirect impacts to the CTUIR’s interests caused by tar sands development.”

Read more: Megaload Update: Umatilla Show Solidarity Against Tar Sands

(By CTUIR tribal member x-603, Wey-ow’sux, Cathy Sampson-Kruse)