Over 30 gallons of generator fuel spilled onto the National Mall following the Freedom 250 event in Washington, DC.
The event on May 17 reportedly used a multitude of commercial generators with fuel that later “seeped into underground cisterns that collect rainwater to irrigate the Mall,” at least three sources confirmed to NBC News.
The four cisterns hold 250,000 gallons of water under the National Mall, and a cleanup of the spill is currently underway. Organizers for Freedom 250 blamed the spills on “vandalism.”
“Following the Freedom 250 team’s installation of temporary lighting on the National Mall, our equipment has been repeatedly targeted by vandals. The recent fuel leak was the direct result of that tampering,” said Rachel Reisner, spokeswoman for Freedom 250.
“Upon discovering damage to a generator fuel line, Freedom 250 and our vendors mobilized within minutes, coordinated an immediate cleanup response, and fully remediated the site in close partnership with the National Park Service,” Reisner said. “We take our responsibility as stewards of the National Mall seriously and are working closely with the appropriate law enforcement authorities regarding these acts of vandalism.”
Freedom 250 was founded by the Trump administration as a public-private fund to plan events celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, while America 250 was founded ten years ago in Congress.
“One of the people familiar with the matter said the National Park Service would typically hold the permit holder liable for the environmental mitigation after a spill of such magnitude, but it is unclear whether Freedom 250 and Event Strategies Inc., which helped organize the events, are on the hook for the cleanup costs,” noted NBC News.
“National Park Service guidelines indicate commercial liability insurance would be required as part of the permit for an event of such size and scope,” it added.
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