A fuel leak atHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airportlast week dumped 10,000 gallons ofjet fuelinto the Flint River, environmental officials said.
Griffin residents were warned not todrink their wateron Jan. 30, and Governor Brian Kemp issued aState of Emergencyfor Spalding County to start cleanup efforts.
Kemp's executive order said there was a "significant release of fuel at or near" the airport.
How did the fuel spill from the airport?
The fuel leak occurred when a fuel pit hydrant attached to a fuel systempipeline burstnorth of Terminal T at Hartsfield-Jackson, the EPA told outlets.
The fuel entered theairport's storm water systemwhich flows to the Flint River, south of the airport. The Flint River is used as a primary water source for Spalding County.
According to the EPA, cleanup crews had removed 80% of the jet fuel from the river as of Wednesday, or about 8,300 gallons of the 10,000. They also collected 28,000 gallons of water that had come in contact with petroleum and some debris that had become contaminated.
Is the water in Griffin safe to use?
The water in Griffin wasdeemed safeto use the same day as the spill, later in the evening, but some residents believed the water still had an unpleasant smell.
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Thursday night, a city official said that tests had been run on the water to ensure safety, and found there waspropylene glycol presentin the clear well. The official said when it mixes with chlorine and gets into the city's distribution system, it can smell like fuel. Propylene glycol, however, is safe to consume and is found in products used every day.
The city official said Thursday that every test run on the water supply since last Friday has come back negative for any fuel or fuel derivatives in the water. The test results will be madepublicly availableon the city's website.
Previous spills in Flint River
The headwaters of the Flint River, which flows south all the way to Florida, begin from seepage around the area of the Atlanta airport, meaning any contaminants from that area can reach the river more easily.
There have been multiple incidents ofcontamination of the riverfrom the area of the airport, including a fuel spill in September 2021 that dumped 1,300 gallons into the river, according to the Southern Conservation Trust.
Other than the airport, the surrounding area has high industrial activity, posing a threat to the Flint River as a safe water source, the trust said.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today's Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:EPA says 10,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled from Atlanta airport
