Congresswoman Pou Releases Timeline Of Diesel Spill From Equinix Data Center

SECAUCUS, NJ — Secaucus is represented in U.S. Congress by Nellie Pou, a Democrat, who was elected to the seat after longtime Congressman Bill Pascrell died.

Pou said she was concerned about the 5,200-gallon diesel fuel spill from Equinix data center into a creek on Sept. 11, and she asked the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for more information.

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On Thursday, Pou provided the below timeline of the Sept. 11 diesel spill: (She said she got this information from the NJ DEP.)

12:20 p.m.: 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.

Approximately 4 p.m. Equinix's fuel polishing process stopped although diesel continued leaking.

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

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

7:06 p.m.: Spill containment kits were deployed.

7:11 p.m.: Equinix contacted its emergency contractor.

7:43 p.m.: Equinix notified the NJ DEP of the spill. The Secaucus Fire Department arrived around the same time.

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

September 12, 6:07 a.m.: Secaucus and the local health department received electronic notification of the spill.

On Tuesday of this week (Oct. 14), Pou also sent this letter to Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli.

In it, she writes: "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."

Once the NJ DEP finishes its report of the fuel spill, the DEP "will evaluate appropriate enforcement actions," said Pou.

"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," added the congresswoman. "These requirements include having physical security measures, impermeable secondary containment and diversion systems, and visual inspections and monitoring."

Congresswoman Pou will be in Secaucus next Thursday, Oct. 22 and the public can meet her and ask her questions. She will be at 101 Centre Avenue, the Mike Gonnelli Civic Center, in Secaucus at 2 p.m. Oct. 22.