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Thousands of gallons of diesel fuel have spilled from a New Jersey data center into wetlands feeding the Hackensack River, sparking a major cleanup operation and fury over the industry's rapid expansion across the state.
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Thousands → see → state
Around 5,000 gallons of fuel escaped from a storage tank at Equinix's NY2 data center in Secaucus on Friday evening before flowing into Anderson Creek, a narrow tributary running through the environmentally sensitive Meadowlands.
Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli blamed the massive spill on a 'computer glitch,' although Equinix said it was still investigating exactly what went wrong.
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what → escape → glitch
Crews have since deployed containment barriers and vacuum trucks to suck a mixture of diesel and water from the creek.
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Crews → deploy → creek
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the fuel was stopped before reaching the Hackensack River itself.
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fuel → say → River
Environmental campaigners have questioned whether the contamination could have been completely contained and have described the spill as a 'slap in the face' as authorities prepare for a major federal cleanup of the heavily polluted Hackensack.
'
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authorities → question → Hackensack
The tributaries are the capillary system of the whole ecosystem,' Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan told Gothamist.
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Sheehan → tell → Gothamist
'All the water that runs off of our land goes into the creeks first, and then runs through the creeks out into the river.'
Containment booms were stretched across Anderson Creek after thousands of gallons of diesel spilled from an Equinix data center in Secaucus, New Jersey
Diesel fuel contaminated the narrow New Jersey creek after escaping from a storage tank at the nearby data center
Anderson Creek, a tributary of the Hackensack River, was polluted by the spill before officials said the fuel could reach the larger river
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fuel → run → river
Equinix said staff detected a fuel release from a tank outside its facility on September 11 and stopped the leak before bringing in environmental contractor Clean Harbors.
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staff → say → Harbors
The Secaucus Fire Department also responded, with the DEP and Hudson Regional Health Commission also notified.
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DEP → respond → ?
Mayor Gonnelli stressed that the data center had operated for decades without a similar incident.
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center → stress → incident
We've never had a problem before this time,' he said.
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he → have → time
The DEP said the spilled substance was diesel fuel and that the leak had been contained.
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leak → say → ?
Gonnelli estimated the cleanup was around three-quarters complete, although the odor of oil could still be detected around the site.
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odor → estimate → site
'There's a lot of complaints about data centers, I can tell you that,' he said.
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he → be → that
'But right now, they did everything they had to do.
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they → do → everything
Sheehan witnessed the response firsthand while leading a boat tour along the Hackensack on Saturday, when he saw contractors laying a boom across Anderson Creek.
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contractors → witness → Creek
The fuel leak emanated from the Equinix New York data center NY2 in Secaucus, pictured, which serves the world's largest financial, media and enterprise companies
Hoses and containment equipment were deployed along the creek as crews worked to remove thousands of gallons of spilled diesel
Cleanup materials are seen piled up beside Anderson Creek as contractors carried out a major cleanup operation following the fuel leak
He later watched vacuum trucks extracting contaminated water, which was being taken away for treatment and disposal.
The Hackensack River is already poised for an enormous restoration effort after a contaminated section was added to the federal Superfund list in 2022.
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section → emanate → 2022
The spill has also added to an increasingly bitter political fight over the explosion of data centers in New Jersey.
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spill → add → Jersey
Nearly 100 municipalities have enacted local restrictions on new facilities, while activists have demanded a statewide moratorium.
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activists → enact → moratorium
Ben Dziobek, executive director of the Gen-Z-led Climate Revolution Action Network, said the Secaucus spill demonstrated why leaving regulation to individual communities was inadequate.
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leaving → lead → communities
Bright containment booms were placed across the waterway to prevent remaining diesel from spreading beyond the affected stretch of creek
Cleanup equipment could be seen snaking through the wetlands as crews battled to remove fuel and contaminated water from Anderson Creek
'This is what happens when the data center industry is allowed to operate without any rules, and new ones are popping up all over New Jersey,' Dziobek said in a statement.
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Dziobek → place → statement
'We need a statewide ban right now before they do any more damage to our communities.'
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they → need → communities
He argued pollution from one municipality can quickly become another community's problem.
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pollution → argue → municipality
'Leaving this to individual towns doesn't make any sense,' Dziobek said.
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Dziobek → leave → sense
'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.'
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it → create → bills
Equinix said it has launched a full investigation to establish what caused the fuel release and prevent another incident.
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what → say → incident
'We are working closely with those agencies, local officials, and community stakeholders to ensure a thorough remediation,' the company said, adding that it remained 'committed to resolving this quickly, transparently, and responsibly.'
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it → work → this
The DEP said cleanup crews were expected to remain at Anderson Creek for several days.
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crews → say → days
The Aporia
