Joint Base Andrews Fuel Leak Update: Faint Petroleum Odor Still Detected In Piscataway Creek

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Nearly three months after Maryland officials first disclosed a massive jet fuel leak into Piscataway Creek, inspectors reported improved field conditions during their latest site visit, though a faint petroleum odor persisted at one monitoring location while laboratory results from the latest water sampling remain pending.

Conducted June 24, the fourth round of joint sampling brought together the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Oil Control Program (OCP), Joint Base Andrews (JBA) and environmental cleanup contractor Clean Harbors as investigators continued responding to a leak that MDE announced in April had released an estimated 32,000 gallons of jet fuel from the base’s underground hydrant fueling system between January and March.

MDE Remediation Division Western Region Supervisor Jim Richmond and Chief Susan Bull led the June 24 inspection, collecting water samples from the same three monitoring locations established during the agency’s April 13 investigation.

What Investigators Found

Before meeting with the Joint Base Andrews team, Richmond collected an independent water sample near the mouth of Piscataway Creek at Farmington Landing on Wharf Road in Accokeek. He also collected a field blank, a quality control sample used to confirm no contamination was introduced during the sampling process.

The team then moved to a monitoring site near Colonial Lane in Clinton, where investigators detected a slight, intermittent petroleum odor along the creek. No visible fuel was observed, and schools of minnows were seen swimming through the area.

Water samples were collected to test for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and petroleum hydrocarbons in both diesel- and gasoline-range fuels. Clean Harbors also collected a separate sample to test for PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals.”

At the remaining two sampling locations on Joint Base Andrews property, investigators reported improved conditions. The creek’s underflow dam, which helps contain floating petroleum while allowing water to flow underneath, had been repaired after being damaged by recent heavy rain. Hard and soft absorbent booms also had been replaced.

Personnel from HEPACO, a Clean Harbors subsidiary specializing in emergency environmental response, monitored stream conditions and the containment system during the visit. Investigators reported no petroleum odor or visible fuel at either location, while minnows and minor aquatic vegetation were observed in the creek.

All MDE samples will undergo comprehensive laboratory analysis for VOCs, including fuel oxygenates and naphthalene, using EPA Method 8260, along with petroleum hydrocarbon testing under EPA Method 8015.

What Happens Next

MDE’s previously released laboratory data show that fuel-related contaminants in Piscataway Creek have generally declined since sampling began in April, though not without some fluctuation along the way. According to the agency’s summary, concentrations decrease farther downstream from the headwaters and have continued to decrease over time, indicating that containment efforts are capturing free-phase fuel.

Laboratory results from the June 24 sampling remain pending.

Under Maryland reporting requirements, any new petroleum spill, release or discharge must be reported to MDE within two hours of discovery by calling 410-537-3442 during business hours or the department’s 24-hour Emergency Response Division hotline at 1-866-633-4686.

For the latest investigation updates, sampling reports and official documents related to the Joint Base Andrews fuel release, visit the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Joint Base Andrews Jet Fuel Release Information page. The page is updated as new information becomes available.

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