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Rep. Rosendale Visits Site of Train Derailment over Yellowstone River

Washington, June 30, 2023

REED POINT, MT -  Yesterday, Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) visited the site of the Montana Rail Link train derailment and bridge collapse in Stillwater County to survey the damage and receive an update on the cleanup process.

“I want to thank all our federal, state, and local agencies, along with Montana Rail Link, for working together and their hard work to clean up the environment and keep Montanans safe,” said Rep. Rosendale. “I was extremely pleased to hear that upon preliminary inspection, Montana Rail Link anticipates service to be restored and the bridge to be repaired within weeks, not months.”

On June 24th, a train operated by Montana Rail Link derailed when a bridge collapsed over the Yellowstone River, leaving railcars submerged in the river. The submerged cars carried molten sulfur and asphalt which solidified on contact and pose limited risk to communities downriver.

On June 26th, Rep. Rosendale sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, EPA Administrator Michael Regan, and Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration Amit Bose thanking them for their quick response to the Montana Rail Link train derailment over the Yellowstone River and asking questions regarding the cleanup and repair process.

During the site visit, Rep. Rosendale received the following information:

  1. Upon preliminary inspection, Montana Rail Link anticipates restoring service and repairing the bridge within weeks, not months.
  2. DEQ and EPA are continuing their work to monitor air and water quality. They have not detected a different level of sulfur or petroleum products downstream, and water quality is maintained at the same levels upstream as it is downstream.
  3. Due to the remaining waste in the river, the irrigation gates directly from the river remain closed to ensure that livestock and irrigation equipment are not harmed or damaged.
Officials at site visit with Rep. Rosendale included:
  • Jennifer Mitchell, Federal Railroad Administration
  • Ed McCullough, Federal Railroad Administration
  • Beth Archer, Environmental Protection Agency
  • Joe Racicot, Montana Rail Link
  • Shasta Steinweden, Montana Department of Environmental Quality
  • Jeff Gates, Montana Disaster & Emergency Services
  • David Stamey, Montana Disaster & Emergency Services
  • Steve Riveland, Stillwater County Commissioner
  • Tyrel Hamilton, Stillwater County Commissioner
  • Jeff Ruffatto, Stillwater County Commissioner
  • Rich Cowger, Columbus Fire Rescue