Imperial Oil Withdraws Megaload Permit Application

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — The Canadian company building an oil sands project in northern Alberta has withdrawn its application to haul oversized loads of oil field equipment over Lolo Pass and through northwestern Montana into Canada.

The Missoulian reports the Montana Department of Transportation announced the move in a notice to District Judge Ray Dayton. Dayton had been hearing a lawsuit filed by Missoula County and environmental groups seeking to block the oversized loads without further environmental review.

In February, Dayton ordered MDT to perform a more extensive review of the Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil application.

Meanwhile, smaller modules of equipment have been transported via interstate highway from ports in Idaho and Washington through northwestern Montana to the Kearl Oil Sands project.