Two months after a railroad bridge collapse sent carloads of hazardous oil products plunging into Montana’s Yellowstone River, the cleanup workers are gone and a mess remains
Thick mats of tarry petroleum asphalt cover portions of sandbars. Oil-speckled rocks and bushes line the shore along with chunks of yellow sulfur, a component of crude. In the middle of the river downstream of the bridge, a tangle of steel juts out of the water from a ruptured railroad tank car that has not been removed.
The scope of remaining pollution was evident this week when viewed by boat downstream of the collapsed bridge, which has since been repaired. Asphalt could be seen on every river island visited, ranging from globs stuck on riverside vegetation to thick mats of tar oozing across sand bars as summer temperatures heated it into a viscous liquid.
Downstream intakes for drinking water and irrigation were temporarily shut down after the spill and have since reopened with no impacts reported. Federal and state officials cautioned in the days after the derailment that much of the spill would not be recovered and a too-aggressive cleanup risked further harm to the environment. Cleanup crews collected asphalt at 377 sites — along with more than 20 tons of rocks, sand and vegetation that stuck to the asphalt as it began to harden, according to data provided by federal officials.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Petroleum asphalt remains in Yellowstone River, even after cleanup from train derailmentTwo months after a railroad bridge collapse sent carloads of hazardous oil products plunging into Montana’s Yellowstone River, the cleanup workers are gone and a mess remains
Read more »
Petroleum asphalt remains in Yellowstone River, even after cleanup from train derailmentTwo months after a railroad bridge collapse sent carloads of hazardous oil products plunging into Montana’s Yellowstone River, the cleanup workers are gone and a mess remains.
Read more »
Food52 Five Two Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 6, Two ColorsFood52's Five Two Wool Dryer balls are laundry’s miracle workers, bringing forth fluffier towels and softer sheets while cutting down on drying time by 25%.
Read more »
Petroleum News -- ScienceDailyPetroleum Engineering. From coal-based jet fuel to undiscovered petroleum resources, read all the petroleum industry news here.
Read more »
Yellowstone's New 2023 Prequel Will Break Tradition & Fully Test The Franchise's FutureThe show represents a new step for Yellowstone.
Read more »