Initial Investigations Reveal No Public Risk from Hazardous Material Spill into Yellowstone River, Authorities Confirm

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Early environmental assessments of the Yellowstone River, the site of a railroad accident involving hazardous cargo, show no evidence of risk to the public, according to local and federal authorities on Sunday.

The aftermath of a bridge collapse left seven derailed train cars, carrying molten sulfur and hot asphalt, submerged in the swift-flowing river near Columbus, approximately 40 miles (around 64 kilometers) west of Billings, Montana. The incident happened in a relatively unpopulated portion of the Yellowstone River Valley, nestled amidst ranches and farmland.

No traces of petroleum hydrocarbons or sulfur, substances carried by the train and that remain undissolved in water, were detected in preliminary water quality tests, stated Kevin Stone, a representative from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

“Water quality assessments will persist until the cleanup is finished, with no current identified risks to public potable water,” he added.

Water testing is being carried out by contractors employed by Montana Rail Link, the train’s operator. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency are supervising this process, according to Stone.

In addition, contractors tracking the air quality downwind of the derailment for the EPA haven’t discovered any harmful gases, confirmed Rich Mylott, an EPA regional office spokesperson.

Water quality tests began on Saturday and will be ongoing throughout the derailment site cleanup, relayed Montana Rail Link spokesperson Andy Garland.

“Montana Rail Link is devoted to addressing any potential impacts from this event in the region,” he assured.

The quantity of cargo that entered the river from the derailed cars remains uncertain, reported David Stamey, the director of Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services.

Garland clarified that both hot asphalt and molten sulfur tend to solidify quickly upon water contact, and projections suggest these substances won’t disperse extensively downstream.

Efforts are underway to determine the optimal method for removing the derailed cars, given the extensive crash and damage, informed Stamey.

The Federal Railroad Administration is spearheading the derailment investigation but had no initial findings to report, according to spokesperson Daniel Griffin.

The collapse also disrupted a fiber-optic cable supplying internet service to a significant number of the state’s residents, as per Global Net, the high-speed provider. While service is maintained through a backup route, some customers were experiencing no or slow connectivity on Sunday.

In 2022, record-breaking floods inflicted substantial damage to Yellowstone National Park and neighboring Montana towns. The river near the collapsed bridge runs away from the national park, located roughly 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.

Robert Bea, a retired professor of engineering at the University of California Berkeley, who has evaluated numerous major disasters, suggested the repeated years of intense river flows as a potential cause.

“High water flow implies high forces directly impacting the pier and, crucially, the river bed,” Bea commented on Saturday. “This can lead to erosion or scouring that can undermine the foundation, increasing the chances of structural failure, which could trigger such accidents.”

A parallel highway bridge, part of the so-called Twin Bridges, was demolished in 2021 due to an imminent fall risk, as determined by the Montana Department of Transportation. The railroad bridge undergoes bi-annual inspections, the most recent of which was in May, according to Garland.

The Federal Railroad Administration will evaluate these inspection reports for compliance with federal safety standards, stated Griffin.

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The story has been revised to correct the name to David Stamey, not David Samey.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Yellowstone River hazardous cargo spill

More about Yellowstone River hazardous cargo spill

• Yellowstone National Park
• Federal Environmental Protection Agency
• Montana Department of Environmental Quality
• Federal Railroad Administration
• Montana Rail Link
• Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services
• Global Net Internet Services