Hundreds of gallons of fuel spilled at Wildwood Wawa near the bay during the weekend.

A significant fuel spill occurred on Sunday at a Wawa convenience store located on West Rio Grande Avenue in Wildwood, New Jersey, releasing approximately 650 gallons of fuel. This incident prompted a temporary closure of the store, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the company.

The spilled fuel was enough to fill the fuel tanks of around 45 vehicles. As cleanup operations progressed, local authorities closed several streets in the vicinity to facilitate the response. However, the store and surrounding roads have since reopened to the public.

The Wawa store is situated adjacent to a back bay, raising concerns regarding the potential environmental impact and whether any fuel entered local storm drains that lead directly into the waterway. In an emergency response effort, crews took proactive measures, including blocking off storm drains to prevent further contamination, as well as applying sand to absorb the spilled fuel, as reported by NBC10.

Lori Bruce, a spokesperson for Wawa, indicated that the spill was attributed to a possible equipment malfunction on a third-party fuel delivery tanker involved in the delivery at the time. The incident was reportedly identified promptly, and local emergency crews were dispatched to manage the situation effectively.

Wawa is collaborating closely with local authorities to thoroughly assess the incident and ensure that all necessary actions are taken to protect the environment from potential harm. While the Wildwood City Fire Department oversaw the emergency response, efforts to obtain immediate comment from the U.S. Coast Guard, alerted due to the spill’s proximity to the bay, were unsuccessful on Monday.

In light of this incident, Wawa has made it clear that they are committed to resolving any environmental issues arising from the spill and taking responsible steps to mitigate potential risks in coordination with relevant authorities. The situation underscores the importance of effective emergency response measures to handle spills and prevent environmental disasters, especially in areas close to vulnerable ecosystems.