Fuel Spill in Washington Twp. Impacts Gloucester Twp. Waterways

More than 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel reportedly spilled from a storage tank at a New Jersey Transit facility in Washington Township Thursday morning, contaminating waterways there and in Gloucester Township.

A massive cleanup effort was underway by Thursday afternoon. It will continue Friday.

The diesel fuel entered the water at Grenloch Lake, in Washington Township, but the spill made its way north with the current into Big Timber Creek and Blackwood Lake, Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer said.

New Jersey Transit and Washington Township Fire Department are the lead agencies on the cleanup effort, according to Gloucester Township Police, who joined local and county emergency-response and health personnel shortly before 8 a.m. in investigating the source of what was initially described as an "unusual odor."

While the spill incident occurred in Washington Township, at the New Jersey Transit bus depot on Route 42, Mayer described the situation Thursday evening as a "significant environmental occurrence" for his township.

Mayer indicated roughly 26,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out of the undeground storage tank at the bus depot.

"Our first goal was to stop this from spreading and contain it, then clean it up," said Mayer, who was on scene from roughly 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Health officials do not believe the diesel spill will affect drinking water, Mayer said.

The same likely cannot be said for fish and wildlife in the impacted waterways. Mayer noted the state Fish and Wildlife Division responded to the scene mid-afternoon Thursday.

The mayor advised residents who fish in Blackwood Lake or Big Timber Creek to refrain from doing so until notified it is again safe to do so.

If the public has any further questions or concerns about this incident, they are encouraged to contact the New Jersey Transit public hotline at 973-275-5555.

Update, Friday, 1:15 p.m.: View photos from the cleanup efforts at .