Officials are monitoring waterways after a York County salvage yard fire spilled thousands of gallons of oil. Environmental advocates warn pollution could continue.
YORK, Pa. — Environmental advocates are raising concerns as state and federal agencies continue to monitor the effects of last week’s fire and oil spill at a salvage yard in York County.
Crews remain on scene along Codorus Creek after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said roughly 10,000 gallons of oil leaked into the ground and nearby waterways during a fire at J&K Salvage Yard in Spring Garden Township.
Containment booms are now positioned in the creek to prevent the oil from spreading farther downstream and potentially reaching the Susquehanna River. Officials say the barriers are designed to capture oil on the water’s surface and limit environmental damage.
Ted Evgeniadis with the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper said he witnessed the pollution shortly after the fire and contacted authorities.
“I saw firsthand what was coming from the site, and it was not good,” Evgeniadis said. “I saw a very, very heavy sheen coming down Codorus Creek from the site, and I was a couple hundred yards downstream.”
Evgeniadis said when he arrived, there were no containment booms or oil-absorbing pads in the creek, prompting him to call emergency services and state officials.
“I made a call to 911 and DEP and requested emergency services come out and address the pollution that was seeping into the creek, as there weren’t any booms or oil-absorbing pads on the Codorus,” he said.
Since then, officials say a unified command has been established to oversee cleanup and monitoring efforts. Agencies involved include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, York County Hazmat, York Area Fire and Rescue, the York County Office of Emergency Management and Spring Garden Township.
Part of the response includes containment booms and underflow dams near the Philadelphia Street Bridge in York and the Emig Road Bridge in Springettsbury Township.
Officials say crews are continuing to monitor the situation through water sampling, shoreline inspections and on-the-water patrols. Additional containment booms could also be placed in the Susquehanna River as a precaution.
Response teams say they have also secured lithium-ion batteries damaged in the fire and established air monitoring stations near the site.
Still, Evgeniadis says the long-term environmental impact remains unclear and could worsen with rain expected this week.
“With the rain we’re getting this week, we will see a continuation of pollutants entering the Codorus Creek,” he said. “We can’t even fathom the damage this has caused.”
He says a full environmental review will be necessary to determine the impact on aquatic life and the creek’s protected uses under federal and state environmental laws.
Officials say cleanup and monitoring operations remain ongoing, including drone surveillance to check shoreline conditions.
FOX43 also reached out to J&K Salvage for comment but had not received a response as of publication.