A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana fell in early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.
The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services tell. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident.
...David Stamey, the county's chief of emergency services, tell there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.
The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland tell in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he tell.
Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland tell..jpg)
The bridge fell in and also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net tell.
“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company's phone line tell Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”
In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials tell they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.
The cause of the fall is under investigation.
Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene working with local authorities.“As part of our investigation, we have requested and will thoroughly review a copy of recent bridge inspection reports from the owner for compliance with federal Bridge Safety Standards,” the agency tell in a statement Saturday, noting that responsibility for inspections lies with bridge owners.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide.
source(ABCnews)
The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services tell. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident.
...David Stamey, the county's chief of emergency services, tell there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.
The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland tell in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he tell.
Railroad crews were at the scene in Stillwater County, near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland. The river there flows away from Yellowstone National Park, which is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest.“We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident,” Garland tell.
.jpg)
The bridge fell in and also took out a fiber-optic cable providing internet service to many customers in the state, the high-speed provider Global Net tell.
“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company's phone line tell Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”
In neighboring Yellowstone County, officials tell they instituted emergency measures at water treatment plants due to the “potential hazmat spill” and asked residents to conserve water.
The cause of the fall is under investigation.
Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the scene working with local authorities.“As part of our investigation, we have requested and will thoroughly review a copy of recent bridge inspection reports from the owner for compliance with federal Bridge Safety Standards,” the agency tell in a statement Saturday, noting that responsibility for inspections lies with bridge owners.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that sulfur is a common element used as a fertilizer as well as an insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide.
source(ABCnews)
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