GASSED: The True Story of a Toxic Train Derailment

Residents continue to question assurances of safety, concerned about their long-term health and the chemical smells in the Alberton area during visits.

Pictured: decon station near the spill site (EPA photo)

More residents push back against assurances of safety, increasingly concerned about their long-term health and the chemical smells in the Alberton area during visits.

Pictured: Frenchtown Fire Station 5 near Petty Creek (Paul Manson photo)

As the Techs consider how to tackle the remaining 60,000lbs of liquid chlorine in Car 3, health officials try to allay residents’ growing concerns about their health.

Pictured: schematic for chlorine offloading.

One last discovery is made three days after the spill: an entire neighborhood has been left behind in the Exclusion Zone.

Pictured: Sawmill Gulch/Cyr to the Spill

On Day 4 of the spill, the EPA finally has access to the spill site, in what becomes a day of disturbing discoveries.

Pictured: the EPA at the spill site, investigating potassium cresylate in the ditch.

In the early days of the Alberton chlorine spill, the Environmental Protection Agency is denied access to the spill site by incident command and Montana officials. But why?

Pictured: Tim Murphy (MT SERC) and Jim Greene (MT DES)

Residents visit the Exclusion Zone to feed or rescue animals left behind, with some reporting that the visit makes them ill.

Pictured: Horses left behind in the Hot Zone, attended by responders.

The night after the spill, people in the west end of the Evacuation zone complain of smells and symptoms, but they remain not evacuated. And while responders prepare for a long evacuation, residents grow concerned over animals left behind.

Pictured: schematic of tank cars

In the aftermath of the toxic crisis of April 11, responders take a breath to assess the day, and we take pause to evaluate the response.

Pictured: Map of the Exclusion Zone

The Missoula Hazmat team finally enters the spill site, along with a team from MRL, who have already been there. Meanwhile, the gas still drifts, causing more late evacuations.

Pictured: site illustration of tank cars