Climate Justice Forum: Allie Pfeiffer, Ellen Roskovich, & Jacki Vorhees 4-23-12

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On the Monday, April 23, Climate Justice Forum radio program, Wild Idaho Rising Tide activists Allie Pfeiffer, Ellen Roskovich, and Jacki Vorhees will talk about dirty energy development impacts on Native Americans and rural residents in the Bakken oil shale fields in Montana and North Dakota and along the Northern Gateway pipeline in British Columbia. We will also discuss tar sands megaload traffic in Washington and protester awards and criticism in Idaho. Listen online or at 92.5 FM to KRFP Radio Free Moscow between 7:30 and 9:00 pm and adopt WIRT as your KRFP DJ!

Councilor a Bit Childish

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Allie Pfeiffer, Moscow

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News 4/21/12

I just read Dan Carscallen’s letter to the editor this morning (Opinion, April 20), and while I was not surprised he felt the need to save his own skin, I thought he did it with rather poor form.

My first impression of his letter was not that he felt the need to present a dissenting opinion, but that he saw a golden opportunity to further his own agenda against Mayor Nancy Chaney.  If his sole desire was to express another opinion or “clear his name,” he could have done so without mentioning Chaney at all. Continue reading →

Award Was All Mayor’s Idea

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Dan Carscallen, Moscow

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News 4/20/12

When I discovered that Mayor Nancy Chaney was giving one of her annual Earth Day awards to the megaload protesters at Monday night’s council meeting, I was taken aback at her audacity and by her disregard toward the City Council and the Moscow Police Department, especially after the recent employee survey results.

I watched several “megaload protests” and was disappointed at the disrespect shown to not only our fine men and women in uniform but also the flaggers and drivers moving the equipment through town.  I’m sorry, but those folks are just earning a living, and in this day and age, any job is a good job.  If you have a problem with ExxonMobil, take it to ExxonMobil, don’t take it out on the hired help and for dang sure don’t take it out on the cops.

The cops weren’t out in force because the loads are coming through – they were out in force because there was no telling what some protester might try. Continue reading →

WIRT Follows Port of Pasco Megaloads & Has Pre-Trial Hearing on Misdemeanors

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On Sunday, April 15, two Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) activists monitored three ExxonMobil/Imperial Oil tar sands shipments from the Port of Pasco, Washington, to Idaho, noting their convoy vehicles, timing and fluctuating speeds, traffic delays and disruptions, and overpass bypass routes.  At a second pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, April 17, Helen Yost requested charges as lenient as the sentence of a megaload driver who hit a flagger-diverted vehicle on December 6, for her misdemeanors of throwing a foam board protest sign at the 415,000-pound, last Highway 95 megaload and air-kicking toward a Moscow police officer on March 6.  Her lawyer, Ben Onosko of the Northern Rockies Justice Center, will file a motion questioning the definition of a moving vehicle and has scheduled a September trial for both citations.  Listen between 9:48 and 2:34 of the April 17, 2012, KRFP Radio Free Moscow Evening Report, Earth Day Awards, to learn more about both situations.

Megaload Protesters Receive Earth Day Award as Earth Protectors

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Earth Day Award for Megaload Protestors on April 16, 2012

(Tom Hansen video clip of the following minutes)

Moscow City Council Meeting Minutes 4-16-12

At the April 16, 2012, Moscow City Council meeting, Mayor Nancy Chaney announced her annual Earth Day Award recipients: Colter’s Creek Winery, Doug Wasankari, Matt Dolkas, Moscow High School Environmental Club, Moscow CommUNITY Walk, Gail DeSantis, Palouse Land Trust, and Margaret and Maynard Fosberg. She also recognized the megaload protesters as Earth Protectors. Watch between 41:08 and 45:15 of the videotaped meeting for our mayor’s remarks and community members’ acceptance of the award.

For an audio news version, listen to Mayor Chaney Hands Out Earth Day Awards between 21:28 and 16:52 of the April 17, 2012, KRFP Radio Free Moscow Evening Report, Earth Day Awards.

Corps Approves Dock Expansion

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Next step is for Port of Lewiston officials to decide how to pay for project

A Port of Lewiston project cleared a significant hurdle Monday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved an application for a $2.9 million expansion of the port’s container dock.

“We have granted permission for them to proceed,” said Bruce Henrickson, a spokesman for the corps’ Walla Walla District.

The corps found the 150-foot addition to the 125-foot dock wouldn’t have a significant impact on the environment, but identified precautions to protect wildlife during construction, according to a news release from the corps. Continue reading →

Dr. Helen Caldicott at April 15 Hanford Rally

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For KRFP Radio Free Moscow, where Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) hosts the Climate Justice Forum radio program every Monday at 7:30 pm PDT, WIRT member Helen Yost interviewed legendary nuclear activist and physician Helen Caldicott in person at the A15 Hanford Rally: North America’s Fukushima? hosted by Occupy Portland and other resistance groups on Sunday, April 15.  Excerpts of the interview and Dr. Caldicott’s and another speech aired on the KRFP Monday, April 16, Evening Report, Palouse Earthworm, Hanford, between 20:49 and 6:48.  As the good doctor suggested, we intend to educate regional downwinders and our Congressional representatives about Hanford’s dangers.

Chaney to Announce Earth Day Awards

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Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney will announce the recipients of the 2012 Mayor’s Earth Day awards at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 16, during the City Council meeting.  The awards recognize Moscow residents for activities conducive to environmental sustainability.

For information, contact Jen Pfiffner at jpfiffner@ci.moscow.id.us or 208-883-7123.

(The Moscow-Pullman Daily News)

Moscow Mayor’s 2012 Earth Day Awards

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Congratulations, Moscow community megaload protesters!

Remember all of those cold and lonely nights that we stood together outside Moscow City Hall and protested the largest, most energy intensive and ecologically destructive industrial project in the world, Alberta tar sands operations?  Our good consciences understood and resisted the myriad environmental and social injustices and pollution- and climate-caused suffering that now results from the Idaho Transportation Department’s permission and our City Council’s acceptance of ExxonMobil/Imperial Oil megaloads rampaging our city streets, state highways, and civil rights.

But a full year of speaking at public hearings, writing letters, encouraging citizen involvement, monitoring overlegal loads, broadcasting updates, offering information to the media, searching for lawyers, and testifying in court managed only to re-route the industrial parade of climate chaos through communities who have yet to overtly display their concerns.  With no other remaining recourse in Moscow, we upheld our most significant redress of our grievances with unresponsive government officials and industry executives, as we publicly protested EVERY megaload passage.

On Monday, April 16, Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney will acknowledge our vigilant and valiant efforts.  At the onset of the regular City Council meeting at 7 pm, our mayor will announce the recipients of the 2012 Mayor’s Earth Day Awards that recognize Moscow residents for activities conducive to environmental sustainability.  Mayor Chaney has requested the honor of our presence in (not outside!) the Moscow City Hall Council Chambers (206 East Third Street) as she commends the megaload protesters of our Moscow community.  Please join us!  For more information, see the Moscow-Pullman Daily News article, the City Council meeting agenda, or contact Jen Pfiffner at jpfiffner@ci.moscow.id.us or 208-883-7123.

Kootenai County Judge Dismisses Megaload Monitor Charge

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On Wednesday, April 11, in Idaho’s First District Court, Judge Robert Caldwell dismissed an infraction for failure to use a vehicle safety restraint imposed on organizer Helen Yost of the Moscow, Idaho-based climate change activist group, Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT).  Idaho State Police (ISP) Corporal Ronald Sutton charged Yost with the seat belt infraction and a misdemeanor of resisting and obstructing an officer early on August 27, 2011, when she subsequently refused to identify herself, citing Idaho codes regarding passenger IDs and seat belts in non-moving vehicles (see the attached Early Summary of Megaload Monitor Case).

The incident occurred as Sutton covered his regular patrol route on Highway 95, south of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, just before midnight on August 26.  When he noticed a Toyota 4Runner parked for a few minutes near milepost 421, he approached its four female occupants who had been traveling for about an hour in the vicinity of an ExxonMobil/Imperial Oil tar sands transport and convoy of a dozen pilot trucks, flagger vehicles, and state trooper cars.  On the previous night, six WIRT activists had sat, stood, laid down, and effectively blocked the same 200-foot-long, 400,000-pound, two-lane-wide “megaload” for a half hour as it traversed a gauntlet of 150 protesters in downtown Moscow, Idaho. Continue reading →