GASSED: The True Story of a Toxic Train Derailment
The tragic story of the 1996 Alberton, Montana, train crash and the largest release of chlorine gas in US railroad history. One train rider is killed, while hundreds are acutely injured. Many will suffer chronic symptoms for years to come, and seek justice for their toxic exposure.
Episodes
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Introduction to GASSED: The True Story of a Toxic Train Derailment
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Monday Jul 15, 2024
A short intro to the podcast of my two-book series GASSED: The True Story of a Toxic Train Derailment, which documents the 1996 Alberton, Montana, USA, train derailment and chemical spill. The catastrophe resulted in the largest release of chlorine gas in US railroad history, and injured hundreds, both acutely and chronically.
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Part I Chapter 1 "Dark Territory"
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Monday Jul 15, 2024
When their freight train crashes outside Alberton, Montana, two Montana Rail Link engineers, as well as transients on the train, struggle for their lives in the face of a massive cloud of chlorine gas.
Pictured: Spill to Petty Creek
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 2 "Flash"
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
The chemistry of liquid chlorine converting to a gas dictates how the gas spreads, and drivers on the highway are among the first to encounter the toxic cloud.
Pictured: Jack Rabbit II test. Photograph courtesy Andrew Byrnes, Utah Valley University, 2016.
Saturday Jul 20, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 3 "Back to Nature" / Chapter 4 "Worst-Case Scenario"
Saturday Jul 20, 2024
Saturday Jul 20, 2024
We take a brief pause for some backstory. First, we drop in on a resident of Alberton, Lucinda Hodges, who has found a life for her family amid the history and beauty of western Montana—a life abruptly threatened by a chlorine gas cloud. We also examine how well responders are prepared for a worst-case scenario.
Monday Jul 22, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 5 "Alarm"
Monday Jul 22, 2024
Monday Jul 22, 2024
In the first hour of the spill, 911 is overwhelmed and emergency responders are sent to the wrong location.
Pictured: Petty Creek to Huson
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 6 "Gassed" part 1
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
A cloud of toxic gas overcomes the town of Alberton, Montana.
Pictured: Spill to Petty Creek
Saturday Jul 27, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 6 "Gassed" part 2
Saturday Jul 27, 2024
Saturday Jul 27, 2024
The conclusion of the initial evacuation of the Alberton area from a toxic chlorine gas release.
Pictured: Cyr to Frenchtown
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Part 1 "Expansion" Chapter 7 "Recon" / Chapter 8 "Expansion"
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
The Missoula Hazmat team conducts a recon to find the spill site, still not knowing its location; meanwhile, the gas continues to expand to the east, prompting more evacuations.
Pictured: gas cloud near Alberton, Montana.
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 9 "Entry" / Chapter 10 "Drift"
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
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
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Part 1 Chapter 11 "Assessment"
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
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
![Image](https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/wqeupyqy8s6drui8/Superior_to_Missoula-podcasta4839f8c-e459-5770-0212-5cd8d5c86cc4.jpg)
GASSED
A two-book series told in six parts, we follow in detail the day of the catastrophe, the 17-day evacuation as officials struggle to patch the leaking tank, and the years-long aftermath as spill victims seek answers to their chronic illness and chemical sensitivity, while beseeching government agencies for help and taking the railroad company to court to find justice.