Crews begin cleaning up Yellowstone River train derailment

Crews have begun clean-up efforts in southern Montana after a bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed under a freight train carrying hazardous materials Saturday.

Several rail cars that did not derail have been removed from the area, and sodium hydrosulfide in two cars has been moved to safety, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Montana Rail Link said, according to The Associated Press.

Contractors and a crane are also in place to remove the cars that fell into the river, once the railroad company finalizes its clean-up plan, AP reported.

Ten cars derailed into the Yellowstone River on Saturday, six of which were carrying hot asphalt and three of which contained molten sulfur.

Early water quality testing did not show petroleum hydrocarbons, which would have come from the hot asphalt or molten sulfur. No toxic gases were detected in the air downwind of the derailment, state and federal officials said Sunday.

“Water quality testing will continue until the cleanup is complete and at this time there are no known risks to the public drinking water,” said Kevin Stone, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.