A data center in Secaucus, N.J., leaked 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel into a tributary of the Hackensack River on Friday night. The spill came from a storage tank at an Equinix facility and renewed fears about the environmental dangers of expanding A.I. systems.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the spill is contained and a significant portion was removed over the weekend. Crews have cleaned up about 3,500 gallons. The fuel was contained before reaching the river itself. The agency and the U.S. Coast Guard have not observed impacts to the river or wildlife.

Equinix said it is conducting a full investigation and has brought in an environmental remediation company. Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli said the spill resulted from a computer glitch and "should never have happened."

Data centers have become a political flashpoint due to concerns about energy use and environmental effects. Many rely on diesel backup generators, and in 2024, generator capacity at U.S. data centers nearly tripled, according to the Better Data Center Project.