5,000 gallons of diesel spill from Equinix data centre in Secaucus into Anderson Creek; cleanup underway in New Jersey Meadowlands, Hackensack Riverkeeper seeks natural resource damages

Cleanup crews are working in New Jersey’s Meadowlands after roughly 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from a storage tank at a data centre in Secaucus and entered Anderson Creek.The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said the spill originated at the Equinix Data Center. The company said the leak was discovered on Friday evening, according to a report by Gothamist.Authorities said the fuel was contained in the creek before it could reach the Hackensack River. Anderson Creek is a tributary of the river, which flows through the Meadowlands and eventually empties into Newark Bay.

Authorities monitor diesel spill in Anderson Creek

Larry Hajna, a spokesperson for the New Jersey DEP, said the section of Anderson Creek where the spill occurred is small and narrow, making it possible to contain the fuel before it reached the Hackensack River.However, Bill Sheehan, the Hackensack Riverkeeper, raised concerns about the potential environmental impact. Sheehan was conducting a boat tour on Saturday afternoon when he observed contractors installing a boom across the creek.“The tributaries are the capillary system of the whole ecosystem,” Sheehan said. “All the water that runs off of our land goes into the creeks first, and then runs through the creeks out into the river.”

Cleanup crews remove contaminated water

Equinix has hired Clean Harbors to handle the cleanup and remediation, the company said. According to Hajna, crews are expected to continue working at the site for several days.Sheehan said he witnessed vacuum trucks removing a mixture of fuel and water from the creek. The material was being collected for treatment and disposal away from the site.Equinix said it plans to conduct a full investigation into the incident and is committed to resolving the situation as quickly as possible.The DEP has not indicated whether Equinix could face fines or other enforcement action. Hajna said he did not have information about any potential penalties.

Riverkeeper seeks natural resource damages

Sheehan has called on state authorities to pursue a natural resource damages claim against Equinix. Such a claim could result in the company funding environmental restoration to compensate for damage caused by the spill.He pointed to a 1994 incident on the Hackensack River, when a barge spill released 310,000 gallons of caustic soda into the waterway. Sheehan said the resulting natural resource damages claim helped fund a major restoration project at Lincoln Park in Jersey City.“The money came from the polluter across the river that spilled their barge,” Sheehan said. “This time it was a data center close to the river that spilled its oil. I think we should get a damage fund for that.”Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli also expressed anger over the incident and backed the push for a natural resource damages claim.“I want to go after them as best we can,” Gonnelli said.

Diesel spill adds to data centre development debate

The incident comes at a sensitive time for the Hackensack River, which was placed on the federal Superfund list in 2022 and is now the focus of a major cleanup effort.“It’s a slap in the face to all the work that’s been going on,” Sheehan said.The spill has also intensified discussion surrounding the rapid growth of data centres in New Jersey. Nearly 100 municipalities across the state have enacted bans on new data centre development.Gonnelli said Equinix’s Secaucus facility has been operating for 25 years without previous problems. Asked whether he would support a ban on new data centres in Secaucus, he said the issue should instead be addressed at the state level.Sheehan said data centres have existed in the Meadowlands for decades without major problems but added that the industry’s recent expansion has increased his concerns.“The benefit of having high-speed internet is a good thing,” Sheehan said. “But at the same time, we don’t want to pay for it by destroying our natural resources.”

Activists call for statewide moratorium

Environmental activists in New Jersey have been urging Gov. Mikie Sherrill to impose a moratorium on new data centre development.Ben Dziobek, executive director of Climate Revolution Action Network, said the issue extends beyond individual municipalities.“Leaving this to individual towns doesn’t make any sense,” Dziobek said in a statement. “Data centers create problems that don’t stop at municipal boundaries, whether it’s pollution or straining the grid and driving up everyone’s electric bills.”Sherrill’s office declined to comment on the issue and referred Gothamist to the New Jersey DEP.