REED POINT, Mont. — A freight train was derailed on Saturday after part of a bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed, causing materials to spill into the water.
According to the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) Facebook page updates, the collapse happened on June 24 at approximately 6 a.m. and no cause has been determined yet. Seventeen train cars were involved in the bridge collapse but only 10 ended up in the Yellowstone River.
“Six contained asphalt, three contained molten sulfur and one car was transporting rock,” YCSO confirmed in an update of the accident. “Most of what spilled into the river is expected to solidify and stay where it is. Two cars that did not reach the river contained sodium hydrosulfate — neither of those two cars were breached or leaking.”
The National Institute of Health says that materials used in paved surfaces like asphalt can be toxic to fish and wildlife within river habitats. Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration classifies molten sulfur as dangerous to aquatic life in high concentrations in both liquid or solid forms.
TCSO also confirmed the Department of Environmental Quality is conducting water sampling at water intakes.
The bridge was located about 110 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, and because the Yellowstone River flows north, there is no threat to the Park or its resources due to the spill.
Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement that no one on the train reported any injuries.
