Johns Hopkins To Pay For 5,000-Gallon Diesel Spill Cleanup In Harbor

Most of the large, red-stained diesel fuel pools have been cleared from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor following a significant spill linked to Johns Hopkins Hospital’s emergency generators.

What was originally estimated as a 2,000-gallon fuel spill has now been revised to approximately 5,000 gallons, according to an update late Friday from Kim Hoppe, Vice President of Public Relations at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

The spill occurred on Wednesday after generators were overfilled, causing diesel to leak into storm drains and flow into the harbor. Crews responded quickly, containing much of the fuel and minimizing widespread environmental damage.

“I was really worried when I woke up this morning about what I was going to find while kayaking around the harbor,” said Adam Lindquist, director of the Waterfront Partnership. “I was pleasantly surprised and impressed that the areas impacted yesterday have since been cleaned up.”

Lindquist, who also helped develop the turtle habitat along Lancaster Street, said much of the diesel collected in that canal area, one of the few natural shoreline stretches remaining in Baltimore.

The canal is a thriving habitat, home to hundreds of turtles, ducks, geese, and fish. As cleanup efforts shift, Lindquist said , attention is now turning to restoring that specific area.

“We’re less concerned about how the spill will affect the broader harbor and are now focusing on cleaning up the canal, which bore the brunt of the damage,” he said.

Fire Chief James Wallace said the city is ready to respond to any developments: “Should the situation change, we’re able to react to it very quickly.”

Officials say a formal investigation into the cause of the spill will begin once cleanup concludes. Johns Hopkins Medicine said it is working “closely with federal, state, and local authorities” and prioritizing public safety and environmental protection. The institution has also committed to funding the cleanup.

“This is our home, and we are fully committed to funding the cleanup and remediation efforts in the Inner Harbor, including any impacts to local wildlife,” Hopkins said in a statement. “While we are concentrating on the cleanup effort, we are also closely reviewing the situation to understand what happened.”