Wendy Buckley, President and CEO of STARS HazMat Consulting, contributed hazardous-materials and rail-transportation perspective to The New York Times coverage of a Montana Rail Link freight-train derailment at the Yellowstone River.
The June 2023 incident occurred after a bridge collapse and derailment sent multiple railcars into the river. Cars carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur entered the water, prompting an emergency response, environmental monitoring, cleanup activity, and an investigation into whether the bridge failure or derailment occurred first.
Buckley provided technical context informed by her experience as a former Federal Railroad Administration hazardous-materials inspector and operational hazmat advisor.
Media outlet: The New York Times
Article: Montana Train Derailment Sends Freight Cars Into Yellowstone River
Published: June 24, 2023
Topic: Rail derailment, bridge collapse, hazardous-materials release, and environmental response