Broken valves caused a data center to spill 5K gallons of diesel in NJ's Meadowlands. Published Sep 16, 2026 at 9:51 a.m. ET Modified Sep 16, 2026 at 1:48 p.m. ET Never miss a story We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations A mechanical failure caused a leak that led to 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilling from a data center into a Meadowlands creek last week. Equinix, the company that has operated the data center in Secaucus since 2001, said its investigation determined there was a failure of two valves that are used as part of the filtration process for the fuel, which was stored in a tank outside the data center. The company said in a statement it regrets that the spill occurred and the concern it has caused, and added that a report on the incident is still being finalized. On Saturday afternoon, the day after the spill occurred, Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan said he saw booms being laid across Anderson Creek to contain the spill. In a statement Wednesday, Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Larry Hajna said the spill impacted a smaller, unnamed tributary near Anderson Creek. The unnamed tributary still empties into the Hackensack River, but Hajna emphasized DEP's determination that the spill had "not impacted the river, Anderson Creek or Anderson Creek's wetlands." Equinix and its contractor Clean Harbors responded to contain the spill and clean it up. Equinix said it is working to ensure a thorough remediation. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has said that the cleanup work is expected to be ongoing this week. The spill sparked concerns from local environmentalists who worried the fuel would taint the Hackensack and the greater ecosystem. Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan and Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli have said they want state authorities to pursue a natural resource damages claim against Equinix. The DEP has not yet announced any fines or enforcement action. Swirling debate over data center development in New Jersey and around the nation has put a spotlight on the spill. Opponents of new data centers have said the incident is an example of why New Jersey needs a statewide moratorium on the facilities. This story has been updated with a statement from the Department of Environmental Protection.

Thousands of gallons of diesel spill into Secaucus creek from data center. For years, environmental activists and local officials have worked to clean up the Hackensack River after centuries of contamination from industrial and sewage discharges. However, they may now have more contamination issues to worry about. On the evening of September 11, the Equinix data center in Secaucus spilled about 5,500 gallons of diesel fuel into a small stream of the Hackensack River. According to state officials, it was caused by a computer glitch in Equinix's software that the company was made aware of that Friday night. Cleanup efforts are currently underway and expected to continue for several days. Read on to learn more about this massive data center spill. About the spill. Secaucus has been home to Equinix data centers for nearly two decades without a reported spill of this scale. That streak was broken when a computer error reportedly triggered the release of diesel fuel, sending it into Anderson Creek, according to Bill Sheehan of Hackensack Riverkeeper, who spoke with CBS News. Equinix representatives have reportedly said the company detected the spill Friday, stopped the release, and immediately contacted state and local officials. According to local officials, the spill was reported September 12 and originated from a storage tank at the Equinix data center. Clean Harbors, a provider of environmental and industrial cleanup services, was called in by Equinix to start remediating the leak before it could flow further down the river. As of September 15, the NJDEP has stated the fuel was contained in the creek before it could reach the Hackensack River. However, Bill told the Gothamist that he finds it difficult to believe the spill did not contaminate the Hackensack River. " The tributaries are the capillary system of the whole ecosystem," Bill told the 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." Around 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel have been recovered from Anderson Creek, according to Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli. There have been no reports of damage to wildlife or the surrounding habitat. The NJDEP also said there have been no impacts to drinking water supplies. The battle of data centers. The spill comes as more municipalities across New Jersey are adopting restrictions on data centers and their expansion. According to environmental advocates, at least 90 communities have passed some form of restrictions on data centers. Bordering Secaucus is Jersey City, where the City Council recently voted to prohibit new artificial intelligence data centers in the city's industrial district and approved a ban on standalone data centers. Nearby communities are also adopting similar restrictions, such as Bayonne's citywide ban on constructing new data centers. Secaucus, meanwhile, does not currently have a data-center-specific ban or restrictions in its zoning code. Mayor Michael Gonnelli has been a public advocate of data centers and stated in the town newsletter that they are "good for the town." He called them "as important as grocery stores and gas stations" and "the backbone of everything we do digitally." The Bergen County Girl has reached out to the NJDEP for further information and will update this piece when The Hoboken Girl LLC. hear back. Emma Wallace is a Jersey girl through and through. She grew up in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, but has long been connected to Jersey City through her local church. Since moving to Jersey City last year, she has grown even more appreciative of the city's diversity, rich culture, and strong sense of community. Emma loves supporting and highlighting local businesses throughout Jersey City, Hoboken, and the greater NYC area. While she's happy to write about just about anything - learning new things is her favorite part of the job - she is especially interested in small businesses, local news, politics, and community events. When she's not writing, Emma can be found lifting weights at the gym, enjoying a good book, or exploring a new café with her husband. More Local Stories

Data centre leaks 5,000 gallons of fuel into waterway after suspected 'computer glitch' Published September 15, 2026 3:08pm Updated September 15, 2026 3:42pm A waterway has been polluted with thousands of gallons of fuel after it leaked from a data centre in New Jersey. Roughly 5,000 gallons of fuel leaked from a storage tank at Equinix's NY2 data center in Secaucus and flowed into Anderson Creek - a narrow tributary running through the New Jersey Meadowlands wetland in the northeast of the US state - on Friday evening. Secaucus mayor Michael Gonnelli said the spill had been caused by a 'computer glitch'. However, Equinix - the 'largest global data center and colocation provider for enterprise network and cloud computing', according to its website - said an investigation into the cause of the leak was still underway. Containment barriers and vacuum trucks were sent out to suck a mixture of diesel and water out of the creek in a bid to stop the pollution from spreading. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said the fuel did not reach the Hackensack River, a 45-mile-long river stretching through New Jersey and neighbouring New York, ultimately flowing into Newark Bay. But environmental campaigners and experts have branded the leak a 'slap in the face' and wondered whether it could have been contained entirely. Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan told the nonprofit news outlet Gothamist: 'The tributaries are the capillary system of the whole ecosystem. 'All the water that runs off of our land goes into the creeks first, and then runs through the creeks out into the river.' Equinix said a fuel release was detected from a tank outside its facility on Friday, but that staff stopped the leak environmental contractor Clean Harbors and the fire brigade were called in and the DEP and Hudson Regional Health Commission were notified. Mayor Gonnelli said the data centre had been operating from the site since 2001. 'We've never had a problem before this time,' he said. 'There's a lot of complaints about data centers, I can tell you that. But right now, they did everything they had to do.' The DEP diesel fuel which had leaked from the facility had been contained. Equinix said a full investigation had been launched to establish the cause of the incident and to prevent future accidents. The company said: 'We are working closely with those agencies, local officials, and community stakeholders to ensure a thorough remediation,' adding that it remained 'committed to resolving this quickly, transparently, and responsibly.' News updates. Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.