Data Center Spilled 5,000 Gallons Of Diesel Fuel Into River Tributary
A New Jersey data center spilled roughly a small tanker truck’s worth of diesel fuel into a nearby creek Friday.
Paris Apodaca · Sep 15, 2026 · 4 min read
A New Jersey data center spilled roughly a small tanker truck’s worth of diesel fuel into a nearby creek Friday.
An estimated 5,000 gallons of No. 2 diesel fuel discharged from a storage tank at an Equinix data center in Secaucus, New Jersey, Friday, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The spill has been contained, and DEP said it does not yet know how much of the discharged fuel entered nearby Anderson Creek, a small tributary of the Hackensack River. The agency told the DCNF the spill has not impacted the Hackensack River, no wildlife impacts have been reported and there are no drinking water intakes in the area.
Bill Sheehan, executive director of Hackensack Riverkeeper, said he was told a computer glitch caused the spill, according to CBS News New York.
“The computer was calling for oil,” Sheehan told the outlet.
At current New Jersey retail prices, 5,000 gallons of diesel would be worth roughly $31,000, based on American Automobile Association (AAA) fuel-price data.
Cleanup is being performed by a contractor for Equinix, and crews are expected to remain at the site for several days, DEP told the DCNF. The agency said it did not have information on potential enforcement actions at this time.
Equinix said it detected the leak Friday evening and hired environmental services company Clean Harbors to conduct remediation work. The company plans to investigate the spill and said it is committed to resolving the situation quickly.
“On the evening of Friday, September 11, Equinix operations detected a fuel leak from a storage tank outside our NY2 facility in Secaucus, NJ. The leak was stopped and we immediately engaged Clean Harbors to begin remediation efforts. We also contacted the Secaucus Fire Department, who responded promptly and subsequently notified the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Hudson Regional Health Commission,” an Equinix spokesperson told the DCNF.