Hazmat drill planned in Whitefish

The BNSF rail yard in Whitefish will be the site of a full-scale simulated hazardous materials incident on Tuesday.

According to a news release from the Flathead Office of Emergency Services, the exercise is designed to test the response of multiple agencies to an incident involving a simulated leak of a toxic gas from a tank car in the area of Depot Street and Columbia Avenue.

The exercise is scheduled to last from 10 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m. and should cause little or no inconvenience to local residents and businesses. The only planned street closures will be at Columbia Avenue and Railway Street as well as at Spokane Avenue and Depot Street.

Emergency services agencies from across the valley will participate in the exercise.

Anyone with questions can contact Whitefish Fire Chief Tom Kennelly at 863-2483 or Flathead Office of Emergency Services Deputy Director Cindy Mullaney at 758-5504.