Americans’ data center fears are coming true—a New Jersey location just leaked 5,000 gallons of diesel

A data center in Secaucus, New Jersey, experienced a significant diesel fuel leak from a storage tank, raising concerns over the potential environmental impact of AI infrastructure. The incident, which began last week, saw 5,000 gallons of diesel leak into an unnamed tributary of the Hackensack River, though it did not reach the river itself.

Cleanup efforts have removed about 3,500 gallons of the fuel, with the remaining fuel being recovered from impacted areas of the creek on Monday. The spill did not appear to have any observed impact on local wildlife or drinking water intakes. Equinix, the operator of the data center since 2001, cited a malfunctioning valve as the cause of the leak, stating they regret the incident and its consequences.

Data centers are increasingly facing scrutiny over their environmental impact, with diesel fuel playing a critical role in their operations as backup generators. The recent incident marks the largest data center-related spill in New Jersey's history, though it is still relatively small compared to other industries, such as oil spills which have totaled over 134 million gallons since 2010.