Important Notice to Blue Cove Residents

A project is underway to grind hundreds of thousands of retired, creosote-soaked railroad ties into pulp right here in the Dunnellon/Chatmire area — less than half a mile from the Rainbow River and adjacent to the Blue Cove subdivision. 

You are welcome and encouraged to attend a Special City Council meeting 10/27 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Dunnellon City Hall, where Council will be urged to submit a letter of opposition to this project to Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Vast stockpiles of these toxic, creosote-laden ties are already sitting unprotected on the ground, threatening to leach harmful chemicals into our aquifer, environment, and community. The project has submitted an air permit application to FDEP noting potential emissions of carbon monoxide, condensable particulate matter, acetaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, formaldehyde, naphthalene, and more, resulting from the shredding of the creosote ties. These would all be highly toxic emissions into the air from the shredding, while the stockpiles of ties are likely already leaching toxic creosote into the unprotected ground of our community and the Rainbow and Withlacoochee watersheds. Additionally, the creosote ties are highly flammable and can fuel fires which have been described as “notoriously difficult to control” and which would emit dangerous, toxic, carcinogenic fumes into the air.

The current stockpile of creosote railroad ties is located within the red circle in the map below (well within Dunnellon City Limits), and the permit states 20365 E McKinney Avenue (Chatmire area) as the address for the shredding equipment.

Drone footage of the stockpiled ties can be viewed here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfFrJR6K2rE

If you are planning to attend the Special City Council Meeting, the 10/27 Agenda and Agenda Packet, which contains both the FDEP permit application, and a draft letter of opposition can be found here: https://dunnellon.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=1

Monday, October 27, 2025

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

City Hall 20750 River Rd, Dunnellon, FL 34431