Environmental Disaster Hits After Giant Spill By River

(HorizonPost.com) – A difficult cleanup is underway after a train with 25 cars derailed by the western Montana river carrying powdered clay and cases of beer, according to Newsmax. The issue is reportedly getting the seven derailed cars out from a century-old tunnel with little clearance, said the manager for the Sanders County Disaster and Emergency Services, Bill Naegeli.

The derailment has not caused any injuries or hazardous material to be spilled into Clark Fork River, according to the Montana Rail Link. However, some of the train cars are too close to the bank and others are dipping into the water. The Coors Light and Blue Moon beer reportedly spilled across a hill and into the river. 

First responders examined the damaged done to the train cars and surveyed the area for spills that might have caused environmental issues, the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department stated, adding that the cans and bottles themselves were not in the water. 

The department also reassured the public saying that there was one car carrying butane and while it was not on the tracks, no leaks were detected. 

The new incident follows another derailment of a 70-car train carrying hazardous chemicals in North Dakota. Nearly half of the cars derailed and there was a leak of liquid asphalt, but no fires were caused. 

Train derailments have been a hot topic since the infamous incident in East Palestine, Ohio. Authorities ignited a controlled fire to deal with the spill of toxic chemicals, such as vinyl chloride. The fire sent dark clouds into the sky and while authorities claimed there were no chemicals in the air, residents began reporting illnesses in themselves and animals. 

Former President Donald Trump famously visited the area before other officials in the Biden administration and urged that Biden get down there.

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