Data Center’s Spill of 5,000 Gallons of Diesel Forces N.J. River Cleanup

Cleanup is underway near the Hackensack River in New Jersey where about 5,000 gallons of fuel spilled from a data center, state officials said. The spill renewed fears of the environmental dangers linked to the expanding use of A.I. systems.

The diesel fuel began leaking from a storage tank at an Equinix data center in Secaucus, N.J., on Friday night, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement on Tuesday.

The spill is now contained, the agency said, adding that “a significant portion of the fuel” was removed from over the weekend.

The creek meanders through an industrial park and enters the Hackensack River. The agency said the fuel was contained before it reached the river itself. Crews are expected to be on the site for several days.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/nyregion/data-center-diesel-fuel-spill-new-jersey.html