REED POINT - Officials said the first rail car was removed Tuesday from the Yellowstone River at the site of a bridge collapse and train derailment.
In a press release, officials said the car that was removed contained asphalt and has been safely transferred to a staging area.
The rail car was one of 10 that plunged into the river on Saturday as a Montana Rail Link train crossed the Twin Bridges Railroad in Stillwater County. Officials have said no hazardous material was dispersed into the river, although officials on Tuesday noted a sheen in the water in the area.
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"A temporary and localized sheen was observed on the western bank of the river immediately downstream from the remaining cars," according to a joint press release issued Tuesday morning by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and Montana Rail Link. "It is believed that the sheen was a result of the removal of the initial asphalt car from the river or the equipment brought in to remove the tank. We are taking proactive measures to deploy boom to reduce downstream impacts."
Water quality testing is being done daily at 10 downstream locations and at one upstream reference location, the press release states. Results so far show no detectable levels of petroleum hydrocarbons and downstream sulfur levels that are consistent with the upstream sampling location.
"At this time, there are no known risks to public drinking water or private drinking water wells," the press release states.
The cause of the derailment early Saturday about 40 miles west of Billings remains under investigation as cleanup efforts continue. A timeline for removing all the derailed cars from the river has not been made public, although officials announced a public meeting "regarding the derailment and response efforts" has been scheduled on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Columbus High School Gym.
Work at the site Tuesday morning included efforts to begin disassembling the west segment of the bridge to allow better access for crews to assess and remove the remaining cars, the press release states. Riprap is being brought on site this morning to construct a causeway, or a stable path, to assist car assessment and removal.
"Unified Command observed an ongoing release of asphalt material in the Yellowstone River and is determining next steps to mitigate and address the release," officials stated in the press release. "This solid waste is not water-soluble and is not anticipated to impact water quality. Assessment will take place today to evaluate the presence of asphalt material on streambanks, the water surface, the riverbed, and within the water column. This assessment will be done by boat between the derailment site downstream and Pompey’s Pillar."
The derailment involved 17 cars, with 10 cars going into the Yellowstone River under the bridge. Officials said the 17 affected rail cars contained sodium hydrosulfide, asphalt liquified petroleum, molten sulfur, and scrap metal. The quantity of the contents in the rail cars varies, the press release states, but is typically in the thousands of gallons. The 10 cars that impacted the river contain asphalt liquified petroleum, molten sulfur, and scrap metal.
