Environmental Impact Under Review After 7,500 Gallons of Gas Spilled in Bristow

Businesses in Braemer Village Plaza and Sudley Manor Drive have reopened after a truck overturned and spilled an estimated 7,500 gallons of gasoline Thursday night—but some environmental impacts will linger. 

Over 115 firefighters worked overnight and well into Friday to contain the spill, but their efforts were hampered by heavy rains, according to spokesperson Kim Hylander. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were on the scene as of Friday afternoon to assess environmental impact and monitor downstream conditions. Hahn Transportation, the owner of the truck, has retained a private company, Hepaco Environmental to mitigate the impact on the environment. 

There will likely be an odor of gasoline in the area downstream on Broad Run to Lake Jackson, and possibly the Occoquan Reservoir, for an extended period of time, Hylander said. Agencies will continue to monitor water and air quality throughout the area. 

Firefighters used about 1,000 gallons of foam to suppress gasoline vapors and minimize the chance of a fire. The Hazmat team was able to recover about 1,000 gallons of gas and put it into another truck. 

The truck was delivering fuel to the Safeway station when it overturned around 10:30 p.m. Firefighters performed emergency decontamination of the driver on the scene, and took him to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Two Hazmat technicians were exposed as they tried to control the leak, but both were decontaminated and neither was injured. 

Employees and customers at the shopping plaza were immediately evacuated, while residents were told to stay inside. A temporary shelter was opened at Marsteller Middle School. Police closed Sudley Manor Drive and did not allow access into the plaza. 

Twenty-five fire and rescue crews from Prince William County responded, with support from the Northern Virginia Regional Hazmat Team and the Virginia Department of Emergency Mangement Regional Hazmat Officer. Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax and the Metropolitan Washington Authority provided foam trucks.