More than 30 gallons of fuel reportedly leaked onto the National Mall and seeped into underground water reservoirs in Washington, D.C., last month during an event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, organized by a Trump administration-affiliated group.
At Rededicate 250, a daylong national prayer event held May 17, fuel lines for commercial generators were allegedly tampered with by vandals, a spokesperson for Freedom 250 told NBC News.
Dozens of gallons of fuel seeped into underground reservoirs that collect rainwater to irrigate the National Mall, people familiar with the matter told NBC News. However, an Interior Department official disputed the 30 gallons reported by NBC News, telling The Independent that the amount spilled was much lower than previously thought.
“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,” Rachel Reisner, a spokesperson for Freedom 250, said in a statement.
“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,” Reisner added.
It’s unclear who is being held responsible for cleaning up the fuel spillage but NBC News reported seeing a “Mobile Command Center,” owned by an environmental remediation company called Lewis Environmental, on the National Mall Monday.
The Independent has asked Freedom 250 for comment.
Another report from 7 News Tuesday said the spill had already been cleaned up and event organizers were preparing to set up for future events, including the Great American State Fair.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior also blamed vandals for the fuel spillage incident and told The Independent that an individual cut a fuel line “in an attempt to stop the great work being done to celebrate our nation’s 250th.”
“This is unhinged behavior that will not be tolerated. To be crystal clear: We will not be stopped. This administration continues to revitalize the city at record speed. Our nation’s capital has never been this safe and beautiful and it’s all thanks to President Donald J. Trump” the Interior Department spokesperson said.
Despite the incident, the Rededicate 250 event continued as planned with speeches from religious leaders and government officials including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a video of President Donald Trump reading a passage from the Bible, as well as performances from Christian musicians.
The event was organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership organization, backed by the White House, that is hosting events to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial. The group is separate from America 250, the nonpartisan organization launched by Congress more than 10 years ago.
Freedom 250 has faced scrutiny from watchdog groups and Democratic members of Congress for using federal tax dollars to hold events that align with Trump’s agenda or feature Trump-aligned entertainers.
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