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Train car full of ethanol remains in North Jacksonville river overnight after derailment

By Jenna Bourne and Action News Jax
By Jenna Bourne and Action News Jax
Two train cars are stuck in a river in North Jacksonville, where they fell after a derailment Sunday night.
Those tankers contained ethanol.
Crews pumped the fuel out of one tanker Monday night; the second will have to wait until Tuesday morning.
Southbound lanes of US-17/Main Street are closed between Baisden Road and Cedar Bay Road, where it passes over the Broward River.
The detour is just north of the Budweiser brewery.
Southbound traffic is being rerouted to the northbound side, with orange cones reminding drivers that it’s now two-way traffic.
The detour is expected to last through Tuesday, causing backups for morning commuters.
The situation started Sunday night, when eight rail cars on a CSX train derailed.
CSX and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department crews were originally going to work around the clock, but changed their plans because of safety concerns over darkness and the tide.

Crews have already removed four derailed box cars carrying consumer products and food.

Another four cars are still out there, two of them in Cabin Creek.

Despite the cold weather, crews pumped ethanol out of one rail car in the creek.

A second car full of ethanol had to remain in the water until morning.

“I hope it’s not an issue. I just don’t want to see any ethanol leaking in the river, because I live off of this river,” said neighbor Joshua Compton. “I’ve been out here 19 years. This is where I grew up fishing. And now I’ve got three children of my own and a wife. We’ve got a little place here that we care about.”

Both CSX and JFRD told Action News Jax there is no indication that any ethanol has leaked into the water.

A CSX spokesperson said no one was hurt during the derailment.

The company is still investigating what caused the train to derail.

CSX expects the cleanup will last a few more days.

Cox Media Group

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