BRIDGER — Cleanup is ongoing following a 15-car train derailment half-mile east of Bridger that occurred around 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Disaster and Emergency Services Public Information Office for Carbon County Maggie Karas said over 60 personnel from multiple agencies have been onsite for the cleanup efforts.
“Environmental technicians will remain onsite monitoring the air, gas and soil over the next few weeks,” Karas said.
Karas also said there is a new estimate on how much gasoline spilled during the derailment. The previous estimate of 31,000 gallons of gasoline spilled has now been downgraded slightly to between 28,000 to 30,000 gallons of gasoline. Karas said it will take weeks to get an official number of gallons spilled.
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
A voluntary evacuation warning was issued to the four homeowners in the immediate area of the spill but all chose to not evacuate.
There were no injuries from the derailment and Karas said the weather could have played a role in how much damage was done.
“It was raining during the time of the incident and that really was a huge factor in reducing the chances of a possible fire,” she said.
The tracks were cleared Sunday afternoon and are expected to be fully opened by Sunday evening.
South River Road will remain closed while crews are continuing cleanup efforts.
"The road is backed up with trucks full of material… There’s quite a bit of large equipment operating in the area and we really want to protect the safety of all,” Karas said.
