News Release

UPDATE: The road between Mud Volcano and Fishing Bridge Junction remains closed and will likely reopen within a week

The excavation in the roadway to locate the extent of the spilled gasoline, remove the contaminated soil, and ensure cleanup.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: September 1, 2020

Contact: Morgan Warthin, 307-344-2015

• The road between Mud Volcano and Fishing Bridge Junction remains closed due to a gasoline spill from an overturned tandem trailer on a commercial motor vehicle.
• The park strives to reopen the road within a week, once the cleanup effort is finished and the road is repaired.
• A large hole in the road was excavated to locate the extent of the spilled gasoline, remove the contaminated soil, and ensure cleanup. The hole is 100 feet wide by 100 feet long by 10 feet deep.
• Excavated materials contaminated with gasoline will be removed from the park and disposed of at an appropriate facility.
• The park is coordinating with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality on cleanup efforts.
• This is the largest roadside fuel spill in Yellowstone National Park in nearly 20 years.
• Visitors:
  • Due to the prolonged road closure between Mud Volcano and Fishing Bridge Junction, consider alternate routes.
  • Currently, Mud Volcano is only accessible from the north and Fishing Bridge Junction is only accessible from the south and from the East Entrance.
  • Stay informed! For up-to-date road information, visit go.nps.gov/YellRoads, call [phone] for a recorded message, or sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting "82190" to 888-777.

Background

• The road between Mud Volcano and Fishing Bridge Junction temporarily closed August 27 while park staff assessed the impacts of a gasoline spill from an overturned tandem trailer on a commercial motor vehicle.
• While the commercial motor vehicle was transporting unleaded gasoline to facilities in the park, the tandem trailer rolled over on the west side of the road and approximately 3,000 gallons of unleaded fuel was released.
• There is no evidence that gasoline entered the Yellowstone River.
• This incident remains under investigation.
• Read the August 28 news release for details.