BILLINGS – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has implemented an emergency closure at Holmgren Fishing Access Site (FAS) on the Yellowstone River between Columbus and Reed Point beginning June 30, at 12 p.m. All public access at the site is prohibited. The closure will remain in effect until further notice.
On June 24, a train derailed and a railroad bridge collapsed into the Yellowstone River at Twin Bridges Road near Reed Point. Ten railcars derailed into the river, six carrying asphalt, three carrying molten sulfur, and one carrying scrap metal. Product from these railcars was released into the river. As of 12 p.m. on June 30, two sulfur cars and one scrap metal car remain in the river.
Assessment and clean-up crew members for the spilled material will be using Holmgren FAS as a worksite and staging area for their efforts, creating unsafe conditions for public use.
FWP’s emergency closure of the Yellowstone River 1 mile upstream of the Twin Bridges Road railroad bridge to 2.5 miles downstream of the bridge remain in effect until further notice.
For non-motorized river users, Indian Fort FAS is the last take-out opportunity before the closed area. Signs informing the public of the closure are posted at access points. River and access site closures are subject to change based on condition assessments and needs of emergency response agencies.
Itch-Kep-Pe Park in Columbus, operated by the City of Columbus, is open for public use.
Riverside Park in Laurel, operated by the City of Laurel, will also be staging response and clean-up crews. Public access will still be allowed at this site, but the public is advised that clean-up crews will be on-site.
To report observed asphalt material, submit information to: rpderailment@mtrail.com.
To report an oiled animal, call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) Response Hotline at 888-ASK-OWCN (888-275-6926) and provide the animal’s location, time last seen and your contact information.
For more information on the incident, visit: https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=16083