Firefighters extinguished the Feb. 1 flames, but tensions over lingering health concerns were just heating up. Efforts quickly shifted from preventing a disaster to recovering from one.
Cleanup begins
CSX Transportation began air quality testing immediately after the fire and reported no issues. Surface water sampling, however, did not begin until six days later. The company’s environmental contractor, Arcadis, collected five samples from nearby waterways.
All results were below state cleanup target levels, according to CSX.
In the weeks after the fire, CSX and Arcadis worked to remove soil and the remaining railroad ties from the burn area. CSX contracted a private firm to provide 24/7 security at the rail property while cleanup and removal took place. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was also on-site overseeing the cleanup.
None of the post-excavation soil samples exceeded state cleanup target levels, according to Arcadis results, and the impacted soil was replaced. As of April 2, CSX and Track Line have removed all railroad ties from unincorporated Marion County, but some unburned ties remain in Dunnellon.
Public wells in Dunnellon and Rio Vista were also tested by a contractor for the Florida Governmental Utility Authority, which said no contaminants exceeded allowable levels.
Some residents questioned whether data from CSX are reliable.
“Nobody’s going to trust test results done by the person that is being accused of doing something wrong,” Scott Matthewman said at a Feb. 9 special city council meeting. His comment was met with applause from Dunnellon residents in the audience.
Additional testing results
While residents called for expanded testing, a Massachusetts-based activist was already collecting his own samples.
Scott Smith refers to himself as an independent environmental testing expert and founder of the Blue Shirt Justice League, a nonprofit supporting chemically impacted communities by offering testing and analysis services. In the past 20 years, people have called Smith to test over 80 potential disasters across the United States, including the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. He said he is sponsored by Mindy Bish, managing partner of The Keenan Law Firm, to do his testing “with no strings.”
“I just want people to know the truth, get the medical help they need, and then be able to have people come in and help them clean up their property,” Smith said.
Smith began gathering samples of soil, water, soot and ash on Feb. 5 near the site of Dunnellon’s railroad tie fire after Matt The Welder alerted him to the potential disaster. Matt the Welder, formerly Matthew Taylor, is campaigning to be Florida’s next commissioner of agriculture.
After four weeks of analysis, Smith shared his preliminary findings at a virtual town hall on March 4. Smith’s results analyzed the potential toxicity of multiple chemicals present in his samples.
“You can’t find what you don’t look for,” Smith said.
In his sample of soot and ash from the burn site, Smith’s testing showed that the total dioxin toxic equivalency was 32.6 ng/kg. In other words, this mixture of 6,095.047 ng/kg dioxins and dioxin-like compounds would be as toxic as 32.6 ng/kg of either of the two most toxic compounds in the sample.
WUFT News verified Smith’s test results with Dr. Marianne Kozuch, a University of Florida toxicology expert, and learned how they compared to results from CSX. She explained that samples collected closer to the incident date are likely to be more reliable. Smith collected his samples on Feb. 5, four days before CSX contractor Arcadis took its soil samples.
Dr. Kozoch also noted that Smith’s testing method was more sensitive than Arcadis’ tests. This means Smith’s tests picked up higher concentrations of chemical compounds than tests done by Arcadis.
Arcadis redirected WUFT's questions about the testing process to CSX, which said its air testing began the day of the fire. Its surface water sampling began Feb. 7 and soil sampling on Feb. 9. The company provided this statement about its process:
Soil sampling began Feb. 9 as that is when testing crews were able to gain access to the impacted site, following the removal of the impacted rail ties, and was conducted throughout the site remediation process.
Throughout the process, CSX has maintained transparent communication with local officials on all testing and results. The primary focus throughout remediation has remained on the health and safety of onsite personnel, the surrounding community, and the environment. CSX conducted testing in accordance with applicable standards and in tandem with local and state entities.Jonathan Stuckey, Manager, Media Relations for CSX
What’s next?
Residents filed a class action lawsuit against Track Line Rail, CSX Transportation and Florida Northern Rail, which owns the rail line.
The lawsuit, brought by plaintiffs Curtis Trammell and Christopher Bryant Crabtree, accuses the companies of acting recklessly despite known risks associated with the tie stockpiles.
They are seeking compensation for lost income, reduced property value and out-of-pocket testing costs, along with funding for a medical monitoring program to detect and treat fire-related illnesses. Plaintiffs are also seeking an award of $50,000 to help fund a medical monitoring program to detect and treat illnesses tied to the fire.
“The wheels of justice, they do turn slowly,” said Simon Ginadiev, an attorney involved in the class action. “But at the end, I’m confident, and I’m sure that we will get to the bottom of what happened, why it happened, and hopefully take any measures to ensure that something like this never happens again.”
There is currently no hearing date scheduled.
On the county level, an internal county memo reveals that local officials have already taken legal action in an unusual way.
According to an April 1 email from Assistant County Attorney Linda G. Blackburn to County Attorney Matthew Guy Minter, Marion County filed a lawsuit on March 3 against Track Line Rail, Northern Railroad Company and CSX Transportation. However, the complaint was never formally served.
The memo states the lawsuit was intended as a strategic tool, not as an immediate legal battle. Its primary purpose was to give the county the ability to seek an injunction, if necessary, to force the removal of remaining railroad ties and ensure proper cleanup after the fire.
Under Florida law, the county has 120 days — until July 1 — to serve the complaint. Until then, the case can remain in a “filed but not served” status without legal consequences.
Blackburn wrote that this approach may have had its intended effect, potentially motivating the companies involved to move more quickly on cleanup efforts while avoiding the costs of litigation.
While the legal battle is just beginning, shock and frustration among residents remain strong.
“I don’t think anyone in their wildest imagination would think that this could possibly happen in Dunnellon,” White said. “But it did happen. It happened with everyone’s eyes wide open.”
He said this disaster should serve as a lasting reminder to the community.
“You always have to be vigilant,” White said. “You always have to be aware. You always have to be on your guard.”
