Last rail car removed from Yellowstone after bridge collapse
- A bridge collapsed as a train crossed it June 24 near Columbus
- Globs of liquid asphalt spilled into Yellowstone River
- Last rail car was removed Sunday; EPA says release of materials not a concern
The last rail car was removed from the Yellowstone River in Montana a bridge collapsed and a train derailed June 24.
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(NewsNation) — All rail cars have been removed from Montana’s Yellowstone River after last month’s bridge collapse and train derailment.
The last of the rail cars in the river, containing sulfur, was taken out Sunday evening.
A potential release of asphalt materials is no longer a concern, a news release from the Environmental Protection Agency said.
“Our efforts have been focused on removing the rail cars from the river and assessing downstream impacts. We are turning our attention to cleaning affected areas along the Yellowstone River,” Columbus Fire Department Chief Rich Cowger said in a statement.
Globs of asphalt binder spilled into Yellowstone River after a bridge collapsed as a train crossed it early June 24 near the town of Columbus. A total of 10 cars fell into the water, spilling liquid asphalt and molten sulfur, officials said.
Officials said there was no threat to the public or downstream water supplies.
Both the asphalt and molten sulfur were initially expected to cool and harden when exposed to the cold water, but the asphalt behaved differently. Paul Peronard of the EPA said it didn’t sink in the water.
“It adheres really well to rock, and we can roll it up like taffy on the sand,” Peronard said.
Cleanup began Sunday. Workers cooled the gooey material with river water, rolling it up and putting the globs into garbage bags. Around 1,500 pounds of asphalt material were collected as part of the initial cleanup efforts.
On Monday morning, teams finished transferring asphalt from the three remaining cars on the eastern span of the bridge into stable rail cars. According to the EPA, the rail cars containing the transferred product will be relocated and put at a location away from the collapse site. Work on removing the empty cars on the bridge will continue throughout the day.
“Environmental teams are focusing their efforts on continued downstream assessment and adding additional resources to cleanup efforts,” the EPA said. “There have been additional boats and personnel deployed to remove asphalt material from the riverbanks.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
