Fuel intended to be routed into three 880,000-gallon tanks was inadvertently routed into a 2,000-gallon tank, resulting in a leak of about 94,000 gallons. The cause of the leak was determined to be an incorrectly positioned switch, Navy Rear Adm. Jack Scorby, commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic told The Virginian-Pilot on Friday.
How the switch was left in the wrong position is still under investigation, said Scorby.
The Navy has estimated the loss of fuel to cost about $184,000, with jet fuel valued at about $1.91 per gallon.
But the cost of the spill extends beyond a simple dollar amount.
The Navyis also doing a voluntary relocation for families who live adjacent to the affected waterway off of London Bridge Road in Virginia Beach. As of Friday, 48 families have accepted the offer, according to the Pilot.
"The first couple of days, it was like sticking your head in a fuel drum," said Sean Pullman, whose home sits adjacent to Wolfsnare Creek. "Our house smelled like a garage."
Originally, officials anticipated being able to clean up the spill within 48 hours, which Scorby told the Pilot was "overly optimistic."
"We’re going to take however long it takes to make sure we do a thorough and full cleanup effort," said Scorby.
According to the Pilot, environmental readings have been taken every couple of hours, with no signs indicating a health risk to residents. However, approximately 700 animals — 75 percent of which are fish — have been found dead.
Residents can find updates about the fuel spill
.
