Tar balls are being found 100 miles downstream from Yellowstone River train derailment

By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

LAUREL, Mont. (AP) — Tar balls have shown up 100 miles downstream of a railroad bridge collapse last month that sent numerous tank cars carrying petroleum products plummeting into Montana’s Yellowstone River,. Dropping water levels and rising temperatures are hindering the cleanup work, which is expected to continue weeks. Officials said Friday that more than 66 tons of the black, gooey stuff have been removed from the river since the June 24 accident. But most of the spilled material — a low-toxicity binder for asphalt that sticks to river rocks and gets harder to handle as it warms — is expected to get left behind.