A train carrying hazardous chemicals plunged into the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana after a bridge collapsed early Saturday morning.
Officials said 10 cars belonging to Montana Rail Link (MRL) went into the river at around 6:45 a.m. Three cars reportedly were carrying hot asphalt and four others molten sulphur.
Stillwater County Emergency Management reported on Saturday that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality had begun monitoring air and water quality at water intakes along the river for potential contamination.
“This just started and will continue over the next several hours,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
“At this time, there is no expected hazmat impact to Stillwater County towns. This will be continuously monitored and updated as new information arrives.”
Emergency management confirmed three cars containing hot asphalt and four cars filled with molten sulfur poured into the river between Reed Point and Columbus, about 44 miles west of Billings.
“Our best course of action at this time is to be aware of the situation and prepared to act should anything change,” according to emergency management.
As a precaution, the Montana Department of Transportation closed Twin Bridges Road at Reed Point near the derailment site until further notice.
Meanwhile, officials are trying to determine the cause of the bridge collapse. The bridge spans the Yellowstone River in Stillwater County, population 9,044.
Members of Stillwater County Emergency Services, the Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners, and Columbus Fire and Rescue were at the scene, along with Montana Rail Link and state and federal agencies.
A unified command center has been set up to determine the next appropriate next steps.
“The present focus of operations is safely responding to the emergency, controlling all releases and mitigating impacts. Throughout the response MRL will work with local, state and federal partners to assess impacts to natural resources and to develop appropriate cleanup, removal and restoration efforts,” MRL said in a statement reported by KULR8.
MRL stretches over 900 miles from Billings to Spokane, Washington, and has 1,200 employees, according to the company’s website.
Shortly after the bridge collapsed, Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) issued a press release stating that water treatment facilities in Laurel, Billings, Lockwood, and irrigation companies had begun emergency measures for hazardous materials, including shutting down river head gates.
DES is also asking residents to conserve water until further notice.
“There is no reported threat to life or property in Yellowstone County at this time. As soon as the situation is resolved, normal operations will resume,” the DES statement added.
There have been more than a dozen trail derailments across the United States since the year began.
On June 7, a BNSF freight train carrying new vehicles defailed near Flagstaff, Arizona, heavily damaging 23 rail cars.
On Feb. 3, a train pulling cars laden with vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, forcing thousands to evacuate a massive chemical plume following a controlled burn to contain the spill.
