Cleanup and monitoring efforts are still underway following a train derailment in a secluded area of Lancing in Morgan County, Tennessee, where four to five Norfolk Southern cars caught fire. The train was carrying ethanol, a naturally occurring alcohol used in food and fuel that absorbs water and can act as a hazardous desiccant to surrounding living things, potentially causing irritating fumes, dead grass, and damage to local organisms over the short term.

Because of the spill, the Rock Creek Campground remains closed, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has issued a temporary contact advisory for portions of the Emory River. However, local bacteria will eventually consume the ethanol and naturally clear it out over time, and environmental officials from TDEC, the EPA, and TEMA report that the current air and water quality near the crash site is safe.