SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY — Equinix hired the contractor Clean Harbors to perform remediation work at the spill site on September 13, 2026. The company stated that the leak was caused by the failure of two valves used in the routine fuel filtration process.

"We regret that this occurred and the concern it has caused the community," Equinix said in a statement. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection reported no observed impacts on local wildlife and stated that no drinking water intakes are located near the spill area.

Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli initially attributed the cause of the spill to a computer glitch. He later expressed frustration with the incident in an official statement.

"This should never have happened, and any such incident is extremely upsetting, to say the least," Gonnelli said. He added that he intended to pursue accountability for the damage.

"I want to go after them as best we can," Gonnelli said in an interview. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has not indicated whether Equinix could face fines or other enforcement action regarding the spill.

Hackensack Riverkeeper is seeking natural resource damages from Equinix for the spill. Bill Sheehan, the organization's leader, emphasized the ecological role of the affected waterway. Bill Sheehan said: "The benefit of having high-speed internet is a good thing. But at the same time, we don't want to pay for it by destroying our natural resources."

"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," Sheehan said. He described the spill as a setback for ongoing restoration efforts.

"It's a slap in the face to all the work that's been going on," Sheehan said. The Equinix data center in Secaucus has been operating since 2001.

Why It Matters

This incident occurs against a backdrop of increasing data center capacity and regulatory changes. A March report by the Better Data Center Project found that data center diesel generator capacity tripled from 20 gigawatts to 55 gigawatts between 2018 and 2024. An Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey released in September 2026 found that 53% of Americans have concerns about the environmental impacts of AI.

The Hackensack River was placed on the federal Superfund list in 2022. A 1994 barge spill on the Hackensack River released 310,000 gallons of caustic soda, resulting in a natural resource damages claim that funded environmental restoration. The Environmental Protection Agency published a rule titled "Rescission of the Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards Under the Clean Air Act" on February 18, 2026. The agency also published a proposed rule titled "Revisions To Establish the Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6) for Public Water Systems" on July 1, 2026.

Timeline

A 2008 leak at an AT&T plant in Bothell, Washington, totaled 15,000 gallons, marking the largest recorded data center diesel spill. In 2017, 600 gallons of fuel from a data center entered storm drains in Clifton, New Jersey. In 2022, an Equinix data center in North Bergen, New Jersey, spilled 1,800 gallons of diesel.

The Environmental Protection Agency published a proposed rule titled Revisions To Establish the Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6) for Public Water Systems on July 1, 2026. Approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a storage tank at an Equinix data center in Secaucus, New Jersey, on September 12, 2026.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the volume of diesel spills involving Equinix facilities. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection statement reports that approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a storage tank at an Equinix data center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Historical comparisons show different scales for major industry spills. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection statement details the 5,000-gallon release in Secaucus. The U.S. Department of Transportation oil spill database records that a 2008 leak at an AT&T plant in Bothell, Washington, totaled 15,000 gallons, marking the largest recorded data center diesel spill.