UPDATE (6/5, 4:00pm): Officials say they've made significant progress on the cleanup efforts, noting the water no longer "looks like wine." Operations will be paused as cleanup crews have been working around the clock. Roads in the area will remain closed for drivers and pedestrians.
Mayor Scott says they're still working to figure out how this happened, but the focus remains on cleanup and safety. If there's rain, crews are proactively placing containment booms in Fells Point so they'll be able to capture any additional spillage quickly.
Original Story:
State and City officials on Thursday provided an update on efforts to cleanup a diesel fuel leak in Harbor East.
About 2,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Inner Harbor on Wednesday afternoon.
A pair of diesel tanks headed for Johns Hopkins was found to be the source of the leak.
"During routine fuel delivery third-party vendor, two diesel tanks which supply power for backup generators for our patient care facilities at Johns Hopkins in East Baltimore were accidentally overfilled causing overflow," Johns Hopkins University & Medicine said in a statement. "We immediately notified the Maryland Department of Environment of the overflow while continuing to investigate."
RELATED: Oil spill in Baltimore harbor occurred because of overfilled diesel tanks
Cleanup is being overseen by the U.S. Coast Guard, with the help of Tri-State Bird Rescue who will monitor any impacts on wildlife.
Crews are utilizing anti pollution agents to prevent potential spread.
So far the leak's been contained to the marina area of the South Central Avenue Bridge, a space that's roughly 100 x 250 yards.
Check back here for more updates on this developing story.
