JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Officers roped off a street in a Jacksonville neighborhood Friday after residents expressed concern over a mysterious substance on their vehicles that later turned out to be escaped fertilizer.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office roped off a section of Renne Drive North around 5 p.m. while an investigation into the goo-like substance began.
“Our whole entire environment is contaminated now," a concerned resident told First Coast News. "If I want to come mow my grass, I’m breathing contaminated air. If I want to let my dogs outside they’re sniffing contaminated grass. You know, the potential repercussions from this are very concerning.”
Captain Eric Prosswimmer with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department spoke to First Coast News Friday night after his agency determined the source of the substance.
Prosswimmer said a nearby fertilizer plant, Humic Growth Solutions, had a system malfunction that allowed fertilizer powder to escape into the air. The system used to keep the powder from mixing with the outside air malfunctioned and powder was blown in the wind to nearby streets, the fire captain said.
When the owner of Humic saw the reports of the substance in a neighborhood near his plant, Prosswimmer said he drove over to assist officials with the investigation, which saved investigators "hours."
The JFRD hazmat team tested the fertilizer found on the vehicles and determined it wasn't anything "too alarming," Prosswimmer said. If you get the substance on your body, the best thing to do is wash with soap and water, he said. If it's ingested or you get it in your eyes, you should flush it out with water.