The Idaho Transportation Department has issued a permit for truck hauling a massive load along scenic U.S. Highway 12 in north central Idaho.
The agency issued the permit Friday to Omega Morgan, a shipper hoping to haul a pair of giant water purification units from Lewiston to an oil project in Canada.
This latest batch of megaload shipments has reignited concerns among environmentalists about large loads moving along the roadway — sections of which pass through a federal wild and scenic river corridor.
Transportation Department Deputy Chief Scott Stokes says Omega Morgan has met the state's criteria. But the decision also comes with the stipulation that the permit be reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled the Forest Service has oversight in the corridor.
