2000 gallons of diesel fuel overflowed into Baltimore's Inner Harbor

preCharge News MARYLAND — An oil spill in Baltimore Wednesday turned parts of the Inner Harbor red and prompted ongoing cleanup efforts, city officials said.

The fuel spilled from diesel tanks belonging to a third-party vendor for Johns Hopkins Hospital. The overflow spilled about 2,000 gallons of fuel into the water in Fells Point, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).

Environmental impacts of Baltimore oil spill

On Thursday morning, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said there was no evidence to suggest the spill impacted drinking water in the area.

The spill turned the harbor red due to the dye in the fuel, officials said.

Personnel from the Baltimore City Fire Department, Emergency Management, the Department of Public Works, and MDE have been working to mitigate the environmental impact of the spill.

Traffic disruptions Thursday morning

Scott said emergency road closures are in effect in Harbor East, focused around Central Avenue and expanding several blocks from the site of the spill.

Traffic disruptions during rush hour are expected.

Additional traffic disruptions are in place in areas of East Baltimore, near Johns Hopkins, Fayette Street, and nearby side streets, according to the mayor.

Transportation officers will assist with the flow of traffic during peak travel time Thursday morning.

Where and when did the spill originate?

Johns Hopkins said the tanks of diesel fuel supply power for backup generators at its patient care facilities in East Baltimore.

According to the mayor’s office, Johns Hopkins Hospital reported the spill around 11:03 a.m. Wednesday. Around 12:58 p.m., the Baltimore City Fire Department responded to a 911 call for a diesel fuel spill at a marina in Harbor East.

Later, at 2:00 p.m., city and state officials, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, began working on a coordinated response.

Around 6:48 p.m., Hopkins reported that the amount of fuel that spilled was 2000 gallons.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he and his team went to the site of the oil spill.

The spill is contained in the marina at the South Central Avenue Bridge in Harbor East, in an area roughly 100 x 250 yards, the city said.

The Coast Guard is working with the contractor Miller Environmental Group in order to clean up the spill.

“Once the contractors arrived, we began to skim product off of the water. This is a heating oil product. You’ll notice that it’s red…we’ve begun an operation where we’re opening up fire hydrants, and we’re starting to flush the storm drain system,” Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said.