Jet Fuel Leak at Andrews Base Sparks Big Cleanup

A big spill of jet fuel happened at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The leak was about 32, 000 gallons and it started between January and March. The base did not tell the state right away, even though it has to do so under its oil permit. The problem came from the refueling system. When sensors should have warned of a leak, they failed several times. The state only heard about it on March 23 when people smelled fuel and saw a film of oil near the start of Piscataway Creek. The creek flows into the Potomac River, but officials say it is too far upstream to affect drinking water.Still, the state says contamination of land and water is not okay. The Air Force shut down the leaking part of the system until it can be made safe again. Contractors are now cleaning up and checking how far the fuel spread. Maryland is doing soil and water tests to see how bad the damage is. The base must also drill monitoring wells, fix any contaminated soil, and give daily updates on progress. People are told not to swim or play in Piscataway Creek until it is safe again. The story is still developing, and more details will come as the cleanup continues.