Class action lawsuit filed after railroad tie fire in Marion County

Class action lawsuit filed after railroad tie fire in Marion County

Residents have filed a class action lawsuit following a massive fire involving railroad ties in Marion County that prompted concerns about toxic exposure in nearby Dunnellon.

DUNNELLON, Fla. - Residents have filed a class action lawsuit following a massive fire involving railroad ties in Marion County that prompted concerns about toxic exposure in nearby Dunnellon.

The lawsuit alleges the companies responsible for storing the railroad ties knew the materials were hazardous but failed to remove them. 

Local perspective:

The ties were treated with chemicals identified by health agencies as carcinogenic, according to the complaint. Plaintiffs are seeking compensation for property damage, lost income and long-term medical monitoring.

Records show the ties had previously been grounded without a permit in Newberry until a stop-work order was issued by Alachua County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The materials were later moved to a Dunnellon site owned by Florida Northern Railroad Company and leased by CSX Transportation. 

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Track Line, the company that handled the ties, along with the railroad companies, is named in the lawsuit.

City officials in Dunnellon had raised concerns about potential fire risk and chemical exposure and issued violation notices. In December, CSX said the ties would be removed within a week, but they remained on site. The pile caught fire on Feb. 1, leading to a state of emergency.

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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said it has since removed contaminated soil from the site and confirmed through testing that impacted soil has been cleared. Clean soil is being used to backfill the area. Unburned railroad ties are being transported out of state, with more than 37,000 removed so far.

Attorneys representing residents say the lawsuit seeks accountability for what they describe as a preventable environmental disaster and aims to ensure long-term health monitoring for those potentially affected.