A train that derailed in Montana spilled hundreds of cases of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer into a nearby river
- A train derailment in Montana spilled cases of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer into a nearby river
- The local fire department said the derailment does not pose a threat to the public at this time.
A train that derailed in Montana, sending several train cars into a nearby river, was carrying mostly Coors Light and Blue Moon beer, according to the local fire department.
The beer did not float down the fiver. It is secured in the derailment area, the department said in a news release.
According to the Plains Rural Fire District, the train derailed at about 9:30 pm on Sunday as it passed Quinn's Hot Springs, a resort in Paradise, Montana. All of the railcars that fell into the river were either empty or carrying beer, the fire department said in a news release.
Train derailments and railroad safety have been in the news since a Norfolk Southern Railroad Company train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, spilling 20 cars worth of toxic chemicals and displacing its residents for months.
Rail unions have called for strengthened safety measures after they say cost cutting measures have caused railroads to become unsafe in recent years, USA Today reported. The incident rate of train accidents in 2022 was 16.75, an increase from 15.42 in 2020, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
At the Montana derailment site, one "railcar of concern" was carrying butane, but it was only partially off the tracks and a visual inspection and gas meter did not indicate any leaks, according to fire department. The train was not carrying any hazardous materials that would be of concern to the public.
"The coordinated effort with our resources and Montana Rail Link, we were able to identify the products involved and that there was no Hazy's materials posing an [imminent] threat to public safety," the fire department said in the release. "Guests at the water front cabins were evacuated as a precaution."