JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Officials say a tanker spilled a portion of its 10,000 gallons of jet fuel at Jacksonville International Airport on Saturday.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority, JFRD, and HAZMAT crews cleaned up more than 7,000 gallons of the spilled jet fuel.
JAA Director of External Affairs Michael Stewart said around 12 pm on Saturday, a fuel truck was driving through the gate. The truck was on its way to the tarmac to gas up airplanes, when a yellow bollards punctured the truck's tank.
"The platforms that are on the truck hit the bollard, and that bollard pushed that platform into the tank, puncturing the tank and releasing approximately 7,000 of the 10,000 gallons that were in the tank," said Stewart.
Officials said contractors are working to clean up the entire spill by removing as much fuel as possible off the ground and out of storm drains, using dirt to help soak it up.
"There's a contractor now sucking fuel out of the drainage system, and they'll check the soil and make sure they have all of it mitigated by the time the recovery phase is over," said Stewart.
Stewart said it's an issue they are taking very seriously to make sure they keep the public safe.