Bridge Failure Leads To Hazardous Material Contamination In Yellowstone River

Early Saturday, a bridge traversing the Yellowstone River in Montana gave way, causing segments of a freight train loaded with hazardous substances to plummet into the rapid waters beneath.

According to the Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services, the train compartments were filled with hot asphalt and molten sulfur. In the aftermath of the 6 a.m. incident, officials ceased the operation of drinking water intakes downstream to assess the potential risks. According to reporting by the Associated Press, one of their journalists observed a yellow substance leaking from some of the tankers.

David Stamey, the head of the county’s emergency services, confirmed that there was no immediate threat to the crews working at the location, stating that the flooded river was diluting the dangerous material. The river now contained material spilled from the train, including three asphalt compartments and four sulfur compartments.

According to a statement from Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland, the train crew was secure, and no accidents were noted. When exposed to colder temperatures, both sulfur and asphalt quickly harden, he noted.

Around 40 miles west of Billings, in Stillwater County, close to the town of Columbus, railroad crews were on the scene. The region is bordered by ranch and farmland and is located in a sparsely inhabited portion of the Yellowstone River Valley. About 110 miles to the southwest, in Yellowstone National Park, the river there flows away from that park.

“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 said.

According to the high-speed internet provider Global Net, the bridge collapse also severed a fiber-optic connection. That particular link served numerous consumers in the state who rely on the service for internet access.

“This is the major fiber route ... through Montana,” a recording on the company’s phone line said Saturday. “This is affecting all Global Net customers. Connectivity will either be down or extremely slow.”

Officials in the neighboring Yellowstone County claimed to have taken emergency action at water treatment facilities in response to the “potential hazmat spill” and encouraged locals to conserve water.

The reason for the collapse is being investigated. Recent strong rains enlarged the river, but it’s not clear if that played a role.

In 2022, the Yellowstone experienced unprecedented flooding that severely damaged Yellowstone National Park and surrounding Montana villages. The repeated years of high river flows offered a clue to the potential reason, according to Robert Bea, a retired engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley who has examined the causes of hundreds of big disasters.

“The high water flow translates to high forces acting directly on the pier and, importantly, on the river bottom,” Bea said. “You can have erosion or scour that removes support from the foundation. High forces translate to a high likelihood of a structural or foundation failure that could act as a trigger to initiate the accident.”

An old road bridge running parallel to the railway bridge, collectively known as the Twin Bridges, was demolished in 2021. The Montana Department of Transportation took this decision following their assessment it was on the brink of collapse. Information regarding when the railroad bridge was erected or last evaluated remains unknown.

According to Bea, investigators will examine the bridge’s components for signs of wear and tear or rust. They will also investigate the history of maintenance, repairs, and inspections carried out on the bridge.

Federal Railroad Administration officials were at the incident site, collaborating 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,” said the agency in a statement, highlighting that bridge upkeep and safety inspections are the bridge owners’ responsibility.

Kelly Hitchcock, a representative from Columbus Water Users, halted the river water’s passage into an irrigation channel located downstream from the fallen bridge. This measure was to avert potential contamination of surrounding agricultural land by substances from the derailed tank cars. Hitchcock was alerted about the bridge’s collapse by the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday morning.

As per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sulfur is a prevalent component often utilized as a fertilizer. In addition, it serves as an insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide.