politics
Pentagon Delayed Notification of Jet Fuel Leak at Joint Base Andrews
The Pentagon learned of a jet fuel leak at Joint Base Andrews in December 2025 after a failed safety test but did not notify Maryland officials until late March 2026. At least 32,000 gallons of jet fuel were lost, with an unknown amount reaching Piscataway Creek. Maryland legislators have requested a full timeline of events from the Air Force.
May 7, 4:04 PM·2m read1 source
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The Pentagon learned in December 2025 that Joint Base Andrews had failed a leak safety test on its fuel system. The base is located about 10 miles southeast of Washington, D.C. Pentagon officials did not inform Maryland of the jet fuel leak until late March 2026.
Notification came only after someone on the base observed oil in a nearby freshwater creek. Even then, the Pentagon withheld information about a second leak for two additional weeks. The Maryland Department of the Environment stated that the base failed to promptly disclose the leaks as required by its state oil permit and did not report the full extent of the discharge until April 8, 2026.
Joint Base Andrews has lost at least 32,000 gallons of jet fuel in total. An unknown quantity reached Piscataway Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River. State officials have said that jet fuel is no longer flowing into the creek, although the environmental risks remain unclear because the precise location of all leaked fuel is unknown.
The incident ranks among the more significant jet fuel leaks from a U.S. military base in recent years. It follows a pattern in which the Pentagon has at times delayed notifying the public about environmental issues at its installations. Maryland legislators sent a letter to the Air Force requesting a complete timeline.
The letter expressed concern about the delay between the base's discovery of the leak and when the state received full information on the spill volume. The legislators also noted existing PFAS contamination linked to the base, which has affected the surrounding area.
