Maryland lawmakers pushed the Air Force for more transparency after a 32,000-gallon jet fuel leak on Joint Base Andrews contaminated nearby soil and water.
All but one of Maryland’s senators and representatives asked for more information about the extent of the damage caused by the leak and the measures taken to mitigate the contamination in a Tuesday letter to Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink.
“It is of the utmost importance that Joint Base Andrews fully assess and remediate any damage caused by this leak and take protective measures to prevent an incident like this from happening again in the future,” the letter states.
Lawmakers allege that the initial containment measures were insufficient and did not prevent contamination from spreading to Piscataway Creek during moderate rainfall.
Joint Base Andrews is roughly 8.6 miles from the creek, which flows into the Potomac River.
The letter alleges that there was a delay between when the base discovered the leak and when the state of Maryland was notified.
The Maryland Department of the Environment said the leak occurred between January and March 2026.
According to the letter, the base did not inform the state about the discharge until March 23, after fuel odors and a visible fuel sheen were observed in Piscataway Creek.
Of the 32,000 gallons leaked, only 10,000 gallons from January and February were contained, leaving 22,000 gallons of fuel released into the environment.
“The base failed to promptly disclose leaks as required by its state oil permit and did not report the full extent of the discharge until April 8, 2026,” the department said.
Former pollution from the base had already affected the surrounding environment, the lawmakers’ letter claims, adding that the leak could cause further ecological harm to the creek.
“Legacy pollution from Joint Base Andrews has already resulted in PFAS contamination in Piscataway Creek and the surrounding area, and this fuel spill adds to existing environmental stressors affecting the watershed,” the letter claims.
Lawmakers requested details such as when the leak was first detected, how the base measured the fuel loss amount, remediation strategies and how future updates will be communicated to the public and regulatory agencies.
The base said officials are responding to the leak and mitigation efforts are in place to contain the leak’s migration. The spill is still under investigation, according to a Wednesday release.
The base said it alerted federal and state agencies, deployed absorbent devices and environmental teams and installed protective measures, like harbor booms and underflow dams.
“Joint Base Andrews is committed to working closely with environmental authorities to ensure full compliance with federal regulations and to ensure all necessary actions are taken to achieve a timely and effective spill response and cleanup to protect human health and the environment,” the release said.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
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