TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - CSX Corporation has removed the final rail ties from a massive stockpile of hundreds of thousands of creosote-soaked railroad ties that had been stored on agriculturally zoned property near Dunnellon – dangerously close to the environmentally sensitive Rainbow River.
This marks a significant victory for residents of the historic Chatmire community and a broad coalition that demanded accountability after repeated warnings about threats to public health, groundwater, and one of Florida’s most treasured waterways.
For nearly three months, the ties remained piled on bare ground despite repeated concerns raised by residents and environmental advocates. On February 1, approximately one-third of the pile ignited in a massive fire that burned for nearly two days, sending toxic smoke into surrounding communities and raising serious concerns about contamination from creosote-related chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other hazardous compounds.
This victory reflects the persistent work of a coalition that includes the Sierra Club Florida Chapter, the Rainbow River Conservation Association, the Chatmire community, Earthjustice, and the NAACP Marion County Branch, all of whom called for the removal of these hazardous materials and protection for nearby residents.
“This removal would not have happened without sustained pressure from local residents and coalition partners who refused to allow this issue to be ignored,” said Cliff Thaell, Vice Chair of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter Executive Committee and Interim Chair of its Environmental Justice Committee. “This is an important victory – but it is not the end of the story.”
Jyoti Parmar, Sierra Club Florida Chapter Organizer, added that safer alternatives already exist: “Railroad companies do not need to continue using creosote-soaked ties. In countries like India, which maintains a vast railway network, 98% of ties are made from prestressed concrete or iron. We must do better in the United States.”
Despite the removal, urgent questions remain.
Initial testing conducted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and CSX contractors is viewed by the coalition as insufficient, with concerns that standard groundwater testing protocols were not fully followed. The coalition is calling for full transparency from both FDEP and CSX regarding cleanup, disposal, environmental testing, and long-term accountability.
Residents and advocates are also demanding answers about where the removed ties are being taken – and how they will ultimately be disposed of. To date, there has been little transparency about whether the materials are being transported to another community, burned, buried, or processed elsewhere, or what environmental safeguards are in place.
“Florida communities deserve full transparency,” said Bill White, Vice Chair of Rainbow River Conservation, Inc. “We cannot allow a dangerous environmental problem to simply be moved from one community or state to another without full public disclosure and proper safeguards.”
The coalition continues to seek clarity on the final destination and processing of the removed ties, the regulatory oversight involved, and long-term monitoring plans for soil and groundwater impacts affecting residents and the Rainbow River.
“This community proved that organized citizens can force action from powerful institutions like CSX,” said Cathy Redd of the Chatmire community. “But we still need to know what contaminants may remain in our soil and water – and ensure this toxic problem isn’t simply transferred elsewhere without accountability.”
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