Pou Reveals New Details of Massive Data Center Diesel Spill

PATERSON, NJ - Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today revealed new details about the September 11, 2026 diesel spill at a data center in Secaucus, including a more than seven-hour delay in reporting the incident to state authorities and unanswered questions about its environmental impact.

These findings, obtained after Pou sought answers from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, were shared in a letter to Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli as the state continues investigating the roughly 5,500-gallon spill.

On October 2, 2026, Congresswoman Pou wrote to NJDEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak seeking a full accounting of the spill, including how it occurred, a timeline of the disaster, the extent of the damage, and what safeguards would be put in place to prevent similar catastrophes.

"Although approximately 4,000 gallons of the diesel have been recovered from waterways and canals, a full accounting of the remaining fuel and cleanup is still outstanding. NJDEP reports that its daily inspections have found no evidence that diesel reached the Hackensack River. However, the agency has acknowledged reports of discoloration in vegetation along the southeast edge of the river, downstream of the tributary where the spill occurred. Although Equinix and NJDEP have stated that an unspecified amount of fuel was absorbed by cleanup materials deployed around the tributaries, I remain deeply concerned about diesel that may remain in the surrounding soil, sediment, and waterways," Congresswoman Pou writes Secaucus Mayor Gonnelli about the data center damage around his community.

Key Findings from the NJDEP's Preliminary Investigation

• Approximately 4,000 gallons of diesel have been recovered from the storm sewer line and drainage canals: NJDEP reports an unspecified amount was absorbed by cleanup materials. How much diesel remains in surrounding soil, sediment, and waterways is unknown.
• No evidence was found that diesel reached the Hackensack River: But NJDEP acknowledged reports of "discolored vegetation along the river's southeastern edge, downstream from the affected tributary." NJDEP is investigating if the discoloration was caused by the diesel spill.
• The data center falls below the threshold for certain state safeguards against major facilities. NJDEP determined that the facility is not subject to New Jersey's major-facility discharge prevention requirements, including secondary containment systems, physical security measures, and visual inspections.
• Cleanup efforts continue, and Equinix has taken corrective measures. NJDEP has confirmed that emergency responses were undertaken following the spill. According to separately published reports, Equinix has reportedly terminated a facility site engineer and suspended automatic fuel polishing operations nationwide.
• The state probe remains ongoing with no completion date announced. The agency has committed to releasing its final report publicly and will evaluate appropriate enforcement actions.

Secaucus and surrounding communities have lived with pollution for decades. Contamination from industrial sites and landfill runoff led the Environmental Protection Agency to designate the Lower Hackensack River a Superfund site in 2022. Now as a major cleanup is underway, the September 11 Equinix spill has seen over 5,000 gallons of diesel released into the local environment.

The Secaucus spill comes amid growing national attention to the environmental impact and public costs of rapidly expanding data centers.

Timeline of the September 11, 2026 Diesel Spill

12:20PM: The spill may have begun as early as just after noon, following a failure of the overfill protection system on generator #4's fuel tank during an internal fuel transfer.

~4:00PM: Equinix's fuel polishing process stopped although diesel continued leaking.

6:36PM: An Equinix guard discovered the spill, approximately six hours after it may have begun.

6:46PM: Within 10 minutes of discovering the spill, Equinix isolated the fuel lines and halted the generator.

7:06PM: Spill containment kits were deployed.

7:11PM: Equinix contacted its emergency contractor.

7:43PM: Equinix notified NJDEP of the spill, more than seven hours after it may have begun. The Secaucus Fire Department arrived around the same time.

9:45PM: Equinix's emergency contractor arrived at the facility, more than three hours after the spill was discovered.

September 12, 6:07AM: Secaucus and the local health department received electronic notification of the spill, nearly 18 hours after it may have begun.

The text of Congresswoman Pou's letter to Secaucus Mayor Gonnelli is below.

Dear Mayor Gonnelli:

I write to share new information over the recent data center fuel spill in Secaucus that released over 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel into waterways near the Hackensack River. On October 2, I wrote to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection ("NJDEP") demanding answers about the spill at the Equinix facility, including a timeline of events and information about its environmental impact. NJDEP responded to several of my questions. Although more information is forthcoming, I want to share what we have learned so far, including additional details Equinix recently provided to my office and to NJDEP.

On September 11, 2026, Equinix conducted an internal fuel transfer operation, during which the overfill protection system on generator #4's fuel tank failed. Equinix has stated that the spill may have begun as early as 12:20 PM and continued until approximately 4:00 PM when fuel polishing stopped. After roughly six hours of diesel fuel leaking, an Equinix security guard discovered the spill at approximately 6:36 PM. Within 10 minutes, the facility isolated the fuel lines and halted the associated generator. Around 7:06 PM, spill kits were deployed and by 7:11 PM, Equinix contacted its emergency environmental contractor. Equinix reported the incident to the NJDEP Hotline at 7:43 PM-over seven hours after the spill began. Around that same time, the Secaucus Fire Department arrived at the facility-Equinix's own emergency environmental contractor arrived roughly two hours later at 9:45 PM. NJDEP also directed environmental booms to be deployed to stop the diesel fuel from spreading into the drainage tributary for the Hackensack River. NJDEP also directed the use of additional equipment to vacuum and clean up the spill.

More than a month after the spill, important questions remain unanswered. Although approximately 4,000 gallons of the diesel have been recovered from waterways and canals, a full accounting of the remaining fuel and cleanup is still outstanding. NJDEP reports that its daily inspections have found no evidence that diesel reached the Hackensack River. However, the agency has acknowledged reports of discoloration in vegetation along the southeast edge of the river, downstream of the tributary where the spill occurred. Although Equinix and NJDEP have stated that an unspecified amount of fuel was absorbed by cleanup materials deployed around the tributaries, I remain deeply concerned about diesel that may remain in the surrounding soil, sediment, and waterways.

NJDEP continues to investigate the incident, including whether the vegetation discoloration was caused by the fuel spill, but has not provided a timeline for completing its probe. NJDEP has promised to provide me with additional information as it becomes available. The agency has committed to making its final report public so our community can understand the full extent of any damage. Once the report is completed, NJDEP will evaluate appropriate enforcement actions.

Importantly, within a week of the spill, NJDEP inspected the Equinix facility and determined that its fuel storage capacity falls below the threshold for New Jersey's major facility discharge of petroleum and other hazardous substance prevention requirements. These requirements include having physical security measures, impermeable secondary containment and diversion systems, and visual inspections and monitoring.

While NJDEP has confirmed that appropriate emergency responses were undertaken following the spill and that cleanup efforts continue, and although Equinix appears to have terminated an employee serving as a facility site engineer and has halted automatic fuel polishing nationwide, more must be done to keep our communities safe. My office will continue to work with you, the Town of Secaucus, state agencies, and federal regulators to address the aftermath of this incident and prevent similar spills in the future.

Sincerely,

Nellie Pou

Member of Congress

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