Diesel fuel spill at Russell Senate Office Building

A diesel fuel spill occurred underneath the Russell Senate Office building Friday, causing the Capitol Police to close down sections of the street outside.

“We had a small diesel fuel spill down in one of the vaults,” Architect of the Capitol spokeswoman Eva Malecki told The Hill.

A contractor was doing work in one of the vaults under the street when the spill occurred around 7:30 a.m. Friday morning, said Malecki.

As a result, the Capitol Police have closed building entrances at Delaware Avenue NE and Constitution Avenue, and at lower Delaware Avenue NE and C Street NE, wrote Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider in an email.

A section of Delaware Avenue NE between Constitution Avenue and C Street NE has also been closed to traffic as the AoC works to clean up the spill.

“There are special procedures they have to take to clean that up,” said Malecki. The building has been thoroughly tested to determine no hazardous fumes pose a threat to staffers.

“We hope to have that cleaned up in a few hours,” added Malecki.

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