- - Jet fuel spill from Atlanta airport dumps 10,000 gallons in Flint River

Irene Wright, USA TODAYFebruary 6, 2026 at 10:51 PM

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A fuel leak at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last week dumped 10,000 gallons of jet fuel into the Flint River, environmental officials said.

Griffin residents were warned not to drink their water on Jan. 30, and Governor Brian Kemp issued a State of Emergency for Spalding County to start cleanup efforts.

Kemp's executive order said there was a "significant release of fuel at or near" the airport.

How did the fuel spill from the airport?

The fuel leak occurred when a fuel pit hydrant attached to a fuel system pipeline burst north of Terminal T at Hartsfield-Jackson, the EPA told outlets.

The fuel entered the airport's storm water system which flows to the Flint River, south of the airport. The Flint River is used as a primary water source for Spalding County.

According to the EPA, cleanup crews had removed 80% of the jet fuel from the river as of Wednesday, or about 8,300 gallons of the 10,000. They also collected 28,000 gallons of water that had come in contact with petroleum and some debris that had become contaminated.

Is the water in Griffin safe to use?

The water in Griffin was deemed safe to use the same day as the spill, later in the evening, but some residents believed the water still had an unpleasant smell.

Thursday night, a city official said that tests had been run on the water to ensure safety, and found there was propylene glycol present in the clear well. The official said when it mixes with chlorine and gets into the city's distribution system, it can smell like fuel. Propylene glycol, however, is safe to consume and is found in products used every day.

The city official said Thursday that every test run on the water supply since last Friday has come back negative for any fuel or fuel derivatives in the water. The test results will be made publicly available on the city's website.

Previous spills in Flint River

The headwaters of the Flint River, which flows south all the way to Florida, begin from seepage around the area of the Atlanta airport, meaning any contaminants from that area can reach the river more easily.

There have been multiple incidents of contamination of the river from the area of the airport, including a fuel spill in September 2021 that dumped 1,300 gallons into the river, according to the Southern Conservation Trust.

Other than the airport, the surrounding area has high industrial activity, posing a threat to the Flint River as a safe water source, the trust said.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: EPA says 10,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled from Atlanta airport

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