Clean-up underway after 2,000 gallons of fuel spill in Baltimore Harbor from leak at Johns Hopkins Hospital

A massive clean-up is underway after 2,000 gallons of fuel spilled into Baltimore Harbor from overflowing diesel tanks at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Maryland officials say a hospital pipeline is the cause of the leak, according to a statement from Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

Johns Hopkins Hospital first reported a 200-gallon diesel fuel spill at its East Baltimore facility Wednesday morning, but several hours later, first responders received a call about a much larger spill at a marina over a mile away.

Following a response from state and local officials, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, officials determined that approximately 2,000 gallons had spilled, officials said.

More than 100 people across 10 city and state agencies worked through the night to ensure the situation was under control, with clean-up efforts being overseen by the Coast Guard, Moore said during a Thursday news conference.

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Crews are using absorbent materials and skimmers to guide the spilled fuel into a 4,000-gallon pump truck, The Baltimore Banner reported.

While 600 feet of harbor boom has been deployed, the clean-up efforts will likely last at least through Thursday.

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said crews have located where they believe the leak occurred and are working to flush out the storm drain system.

“What’s important is we need to push the product down, push it down to the harbor, where we have skimmers, where we have capability to capture and retain product,” he said.

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In a statement to The Washington Post, Kim Hoppe, the vice president of public relations, said the spill occurred when two diesel tanks that supply power for the hospital’s backup generators accidentally overfilled, causing an overflow.

The spill, which has been contained to an area roughly 100 by 250 yards, appears a reddish color due to dye in the diesel fuel, the Maryland Department of the Environment said on X.

Officials added that the drinking water in the area has not been impacted.

The Coast Guard is investigating the spill.

With reporting from the Associated Press.