Photo by Kyle Walton

Update 2: As of 4 p.m., the source of the spill has been contained and all recoverable fuel has been removed from the storm water overflow drains.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority expects that site clean-up will end around 7:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. The airport’s fuel contractor, Allied Aviation Fueling, tapped Miller Environmental to handle the clean-up effort.

Update 1: The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment says that 2,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled into the waterway from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport early this morning, though quick action will prevent long-term consequences.

“DOEE and other emergency response teams were immediately on the scene and implemented a barrier that successfully contained the spill, which is currently being cleaned up by the responsible party’s contractor,” DOEE Public Information Officer Julia Robey Christian told DCist in an email. “There’s no reason to believe there will be any further damage to the river or related waterways. DOEE is merely in the field as a precautionary measure.”

The cause of the spill is currently under investigation, according to Christian.

“One thing we can measure is how much lower the fuel tank is,” says Rob Yingling, spokesperson for the Metro Washington Airports Authority. The gage was lower by 7,500 to 9,000 gallons. “We don’t believe that much spilled into the water, because before it reaches the water it has to go through a drainage system we control. As far as what portion went where, we’re still sorting that out.”

Agencies involved in the clean-up of the spill and the ensuing investigation are DOEE, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, Fire and EMS Department, Department of Health, Metro Washington Airports Authority Fire Department and Airport Operations, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The spill appears contained in the Four Mile Run tributary of the Potomac River, and a statement from MWAA says that, “spill has not been observed in the main channel of the river.”

Original: A jet fuel spill at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has reached the shores of the Potomac River.

Rob Yingling, spokesperson for the Metro Washington Airports Authority, confirmed the spill but would not say how many gallons of fuel were released.

“There was a sheen detected on the water last night on a tributary just south of the airport,” Yingling told DCist. “There’s been a unified response to make sure the spill is contained and cleaned.”

The spill should not prevent you from drinking tap water. “The spill is well below our intake for water so there is no impact for drinking water for the city,” says John Lisle, chief of external affairs for D.C. Water. D.C. Water is not currently involved in the clean-up.

We will update you as we get more information on this developing story.