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Train carrying hazardous materials derails, bridge collapses into Montana River

On Saturday, a train carrying hazardous materials derailed on the southern Montana River, causing bridges to collapse and railcars to be submerged, raising concerns about pollution.

Railroad officials said two vehicles known to contain sodium bisulfate, which can cause burning, irritation and shortness of breath, were pulled into the Yellowstone River under a broken bridge that once spanned the river. Some of those concerns may have eased by the evening as the company said it had no inflows. waterway.

Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said no hazardous substances were released from these particular railcars.

But an unspecified number of other vehicles containing molten sulfur and asphalt were “endangered,” he said in a statement.

He said authorities will continue to monitor the derailment site.

Officials said no injuries were reported.

8 cars derailedFire Chief Rich Cowger of Columbus, Montana, told NBC affiliate KULR in Billings.

According to a statement, Billings has announced that it will close the intake of the city’s water system, which is fed from the Yellowstone River, until the pollutants can pass through and reach downstream.

The city of Billings, with a population of about 110,000, is said to have a clean drinking water supply throughout the city, including a full storage tank.

Laurel, Montana, stopped taking water from the river Saturday morning and temporarily shut down its water treatment plant, but it reconnected the water supply and resumed processing hours later, officials said in a statement.

Laurel officials visited the derailment site and inspected the water system, according to a statement.

In a statement, county officials said Yellowstone County’s water treatment plants are operating normally as authorities monitor the river for signs of contaminants.

“At this time, there are no reported adverse impacts to Yellowstone County,” the government said in a statement this afternoon.

Officials in Stillwater County, which borders Yellowstone County, said the derailment and bridge collapse occurred around 6 a.m. near the village of Reed Point. A statement on Saturday said the bridge over the Yellowstone River was a railroad bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement Saturday night that it would send a team to investigate the derailment. The Federal Railroad Administration is leading the investigation, according to the NTSB.

It is not immediately clear whether the collapse or derailment occurred first, or which of the two caused it.

Asphalt contains carcinogens and has been linked to certain types of cancer. Molten sulfur can cause serous burns on contact, forming sulfur. Toxic and combustible gases When reacting with hydrocarbons, which are the core compounds of fossil fuels.

courtney brogle, Joe Kottke and Todd Miyazawa contributed.



https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/train-carrying-hazardous-materials-derails-bridge-collapses-montana-ri-rcna90978 Train carrying hazardous materials derails, bridge collapses into Montana River

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