Diesel spill, Racetrac, US 84, I-75 Exit 16, Valdosta 2026-08-22

A truck this afternoon leaked quite a bit of diesel into a storm drain at the Racetrac on US 84, West Hill Avenue, just west of I-75 Exit 16, Valdosta Georgia.

That’s near the Briarwood Road exit from the Racetrac service station. That area drains into Mud Swamp Creek, to the Alapahoochee, Alapaha, and Suwannee Rivers.

According to Racetrac staff inside, who were reviewing CCTV video, the spill started about 2:30 PM and the Valdosta Fire Department was there by about 3:30 PM.

I was alerted to this event by texted pictures from a WWALS member at 4 PM. And I got there about 5:15 PM. VFD personnel did not have an estimate of gallons spilled.

Valdosta City Engineer Ben O’Dowd responded at 6:39 PM, “EPD was notified immediately following the incident by VFD as well as the gas station and are coordinating cleanup directly with the responsible party.”

[Diesel spill, Racetrac, Valdosta, GA, US 84, I-75 Exit 16, 2026-08-22, Drains to Mud Swamp Creek, Alapahoochee, Alapaha, Suwannee Rivers]
Diesel spill, Racetrac, Valdosta, GA, US 84, I-75 Exit 16, 2026-08-22, Drains to Mud Swamp Creek, Alapahoochee, Alapaha, Suwannee Rivers

Here are some video snippets.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/27808538962171760/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcXIVPFoe1q/

https://youtu.be/8RdEQEXXhYY

There are more images below.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Reported

[Diesel from truck to storm drain, 2026-08-22 --texted by a WWALS member about 4 PM]
Diesel from truck to storm drain, 2026-08-22 –texted by a WWALS member about 4 PM

[At Briarwood Road, US 84, I-75 Exit 16, Valdosta, GA, 2026-08-22 --texted by a WWALS member about 4 PM]
At Briarwood Road, US 84, I-75 Exit 16, Valdosta, GA, 2026-08-22 –texted by a WWALS member about 4 PM

Observed

[Valdosta Fire Department at diesel spill scene, 2026-08-22, 17:50 --jsq for WWALS]
Valdosta Fire Department at diesel spill scene, 2026-08-22, 17:50 –jsq for WWALS

[Movie: Diesel spill, Racetrac, US-84, I-75 Exit 16 (27M), 2026-08-22, 17:15 --jsq for WWALS]
Movie: Diesel spill, Racetrac, US-84, I-75 Exit 16 (27M), 2026-08-22, 17:15 –jsq for WWALS

[Movie: Diesel ran from this truck (30M), 2026-08-22, 17:15 --jsq for WWALS]
Movie: Diesel ran from this truck (30M), 2026-08-22, 17:15 –jsq for WWALS

[Movie: Storm drain in sight of Exit 16, I-75 (23M), 2026-08-22, 17:16 --jsq for WWALS]
Movie: Storm drain in sight of Exit 16, I-75 (23M), 2026-08-22, 17:16 –jsq for WWALS

[CCTV images inside Racetrac, 2026-08-22, 17:20 --jsq for WWALS]
CCTV images inside Racetrac, 2026-08-22, 17:20 –jsq for WWALS

[Movie: Leak started about 2:30 PM, Valdosta Fire Dept. here since 3:30 (39M), 2026-08-22, 17:20 --jsq for WWALS]
Movie: Leak started about 2:30 PM, Valdosta Fire Dept. here since 3:30 (39M), 2026-08-22, 17:20 –jsq for WWALS

[Movie: Actually drains into Mud Swamp Creek, Alapahoochee River, Alapaha River (142M), 2026-08-22, 18:31 --jsq for WWALS]
Movie: Actually drains into Mud Swamp Creek, Alapahoochee River, Alapaha River (142M), 2026-08-22, 18:31 –jsq for WWALS

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