DUNNELLON, Fla. – Nearly three months after a fire burned a large number of creosote-soaked railroad ties from a property near Dunnellon, CSX has removed the rest of the railroad ties.
The rest of the rail ties were removed over the weekend from the property near East McKinney Avenue and North Williams Street, according to the City of Dunnellon.
Tens of thousands of rectangular wood supports to hold railroad tracks in place were lying on bare ground, despite concerns about fire and environmental hazards.
[WATCH: Dunnellon residents react to railroad tie fire amid health concerns]
Officials said there had been several attempts to address the ties with CSX, including code enforcement violations and formal notices to remove them.
Then on Feb. 1, 30,000 to 40,000 ties caught fire, spewing thick black smoke and angering nearby residents. The fire burned for nearly two days.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
State testing on air and soil sampling has so far shown to be below soil cleanup target levels. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says surface water sampling results have also been returned under FDEP surface water cleanup target levels.
[WATCH: Marion County declares state of emergency after 40,000 railroad ties catch fire in Dunnellon]
However, the Sierra Club and Rainbow River Conservation, Inc., said these initial tests have been insufficient.
“Florida communities deserve full transparency,” said Bill White, Vice Chair of Rainbow River Conservation, Inc., in a news release. “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.”
Advocates say they also want to know where the railroad ties are being taken, and how they will be disposed of in the end.
In March, residents filed a class action lawsuit against CSX Transportation for the fire, with the plaintiffs alleging the fire caused a loss of income and an increased risk of cancer and organ damage. The lawsuit is on behalf of anyone living in a 30-mile radius of the fire.