MONTANA RAIL LINK NEWS & MEDIA

Media & Press Inquiries

Andy Garland
1 (406) 523-1201 agarland@mtrail.com
MRL Quick Facts

Unified Command Press Release as of 1200 – August 16

Cleanup teams reached an initial river cleanup end point at 136 miles downstream from the incident site, just below the confluence with the Bighorn River. As outlined in the Guidance for End Point and Treatment document, cleanup efforts on the river will wind down when 3 or fewer actionable asphalt areas are identified within a 10 mile stretch of river. In the current final 10 miles of cleanup, a single actionable asphalt area was observed, therefore meeting the wind down criteria. River operations also must be scaled down due to low water levels preventing safe boat access to cleanup areas.[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1200 – August 2

Cleanup teams have returned to areas immediately downstream from the site due to dropping water levels. They have been prioritizing collecting large pieces of actionable asphalt. Assessment teams have assessed 102.5 miles downriver; operations teams have reached river mile 98. As of Tuesday night, teams have collected approximately 215,000 pounds of asphalt material. All material collected by crews thus far has been collected by hand. Though a time consuming, laborious process, crews will continue prioritizing and maximizing cleanup efforts while limiting impacts to the environment. Safety remains a top priority; heat is dropping slightly and crews are continuing to take[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1300 – July 26

Cleanup teams are prioritizing collecting large pieces of actionable asphalt material. Receding water levels may expose previously undetectable asphalt material, especially closer to the site. Post-cleanup assessment teams will determine if some areas will need additional cleanup efforts. Five smaller boats were brought in to support the operation as river levels continue to drop. As of Tuesday night, teams have collected approximately 164,634 pounds of asphalt material. Cleanup crews have not yet stopped work due to triple digit temperatures but are focused on keeping teams safe. Unified Command is going out with assessment teams this week to determine how much[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1200 – July 19

Cleanup teams have relocated their base of operation from Holmgren Fishing Access Site outside of Columbus to Riverside Park in Laurel. Unified Command is working to open Holmgren to the public as quickly as possible; some cleanup resources will continue to be staged at Holmgren throughout the process. As of Tuesday night, teams have collected approximately 112,700 pounds of asphalt material. Riverside Park in Laurel is being used to launch boats for all on-river crews and as a staging area for asphalt material collection. Assessment teams have reviewed downstream to river mile 55. Five cleanup teams continue their efforts downstream[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1215 – July 15

Response teams continue daily river operations for asphalt material cleanup on the Yellowstone River. Most of the material has been found on river islands, and a few back channels and riverbanks. Operations will likely continue for weeks as efforts progress downriver. The cleanup operation involves a variety of crews. First is an assessment crew which scouts the river for actionable asphalt and maps the locations on the river. Actionable asphalt is defined as material that can be efficiently removed with less than 30% rock and sediment from land or can be collected in one piece from the water with no[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1200 – July 12

The collection of asphalt material continues to be top priority for cleanup crews. Cleanup start times have been shifted to earlier in the morning to maximize the collection of materials and to prevent heat and hydration related safety concerns for crews on the water. The crews have reported they are able to collect asphalt material more easily in the cooler temperatures and then shift their focus to debris collection, including railroad ties, later in the day as temperatures increase. As of Tuesday evening, over 80,000 pounds of material has been collected thus far. River and shoreline assessment crews have surveyed[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1200 – July 9

Cleanup crews continue expanding asphalt material collection efforts. Crews collected over 11,000 pounds of asphalt material as of Saturday night, bringing the cumulative total thus far to approximately 58,000 pounds. Heat and dehydration are becoming increasingly important safety concerns for cleanup crews as material collection is often physically demanding. Whitewater Rescue Institute (WRI) provided a safety boat near Reed Point during the Yellowstone Boat Float. WRI is leading the on-water recovery efforts for the derailment and recognized the need for a safety boat at this popular event to alert floaters to the downstream hazard at the active railroad bridge construction[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1230 – July 7

Cleanup crews continue expanding asphalt material collection efforts. Additional teams are onsite, bringing the total number of on water personnel to 150. As of Thursday night, approximately 35,000 pounds of asphalt material have been recovered. Typically at oil spills, not all material that enters the water is recoverable. This is why source control, in this case removing the rail cars with material still in them, was a high priority. Regardless of the amount spilled in the river, the priorities remain to remove as much material as feasible, reducing the physical risk to animals, and to minimize the impact of the[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1215 – July 6

Cleanup crews have continued expanding asphalt material collection efforts and additional cleanup teams are being brought onsite today and tomorrow. As of Wednesday night, over 23,000 pounds of asphalt material had been recovered. Cleanup efforts continue to focus on areas with the highest concentrations of asphalt material. Cleanup teams have been focused on the first four river miles downstream of the site. The assessment area extends 240 river miles downstream with the goal to cleanup as much asphalt material as retrievable, while limiting the impact to the ecosystem. An initial rapid assessment of observed asphalt material began on June 25th,[…..]

Unified Command Press Release as of 1230 – July 5

Construction activity and preparation work continued Tuesday evening as bridge reconstruction efforts ramp up. Additional resources continue being brought on site to assist with bridge reconstruction. All impacted rail cars involved in the derailment have been moved to a dedicated staging area where they will be cleaned and processed for safe disposal. Environmental crews continued expanding cleanup and retrieval efforts of asphalt material, with additional resources deployed on the water. As of Tuesday evening, over 12,000 pounds of material has been recovered. Cleanup efforts continue to focus on areas of highest concentration, which have been identified at multiple points immediately[…..]