Overturned truck spills jet fuel at Fort Belvoir, prompting environmental review

Clean-up efforts are underway at Fort Belvoir after a truck overturned near its airfield yesterday (Wednesday), spilling thousands of gallons of jet fuel and temporarily closing part of Richmond Highway.

Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched to the Davison Army Airfield (6954 Britten Drive) around 6:30 p.m. in response to an overturned government fuel truck.

“Approximately 3,000 gallons of JP8, commonly used in aviation equipment, spilled onto the roadway, causing the temporary closure of Richmond Highway,” Fort Belvoir said this morning (Thursday) in a news release.

According to the Army base, first responders and the Fort Belvoir Environmental Division were able to quickly contain the initial spill and start clean-up efforts “to minimize the impact to the surrounding environment.”

Crews remained at the scene into the early hours of this morning, Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services said. No injuries were reported, but the fuel truck driver was taken to a hospital “for further evaluation.”

Fire officials say lingering odors from the spilled fuel don’t pose any threat to people’s health.

The partial closure of Richmond Highway was lifted around 11 p.m., according to a Fort Belvoir spokesperson.

The base says it’s continuing to assess the spill’s environmental impacts and will provide updates on the clean-up and mitigation operations as needed through its social media channels.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our community and the preservation of the environment,” Fort Belvoir said. “Therefore, we are working closely with several environmental agencies to monitor and mitigate the impact of the spill.”