10,000 gallons of oil spilled during J&K scrapyard fire, officials say

The Feb. 25 fire at J&K Salvage melted several dozen containers holding about 10,000 gallons of various oils, which then seeped into the soil and into an adjacent creek that flows into the Codorus Creek, according to the coalition of emergency management officials and representatives of environmental agencies responding to the spill.

The state Department of Environmental Protection reported that oil and other fluids that had flowed into the creek could be seen as far downstream as the Susquehanna River.

That some 10,000 gallons of oil had been stored at the Spring Garden Township scrapyard was reported as local, state and federal emergency response officials provided an update to the response to the environmental impact of the massive scrapyard fire.

The fire was reported at the scrapyard in the 1000 block of Kings Mill Road just before 2 p.m. Feb. 25 and was extinguished about two hours later. That evening, the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper reported that oil had flowed into the Codorus and had called emergency officials to deploy booms on the river to corral the oil. Those booms were not installed until the following day, more that 24 hours after the fire.

Emergency responders – including representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state DEP, York County’s Hazardous Materials Team, York Area Fire/York Regional Emergency Management and Spring Garden Township – have formed what they call a Unified Command to coordinate the response to the fire and its environmental consequences, according to a news release posted on Facebook.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the state Emergency Management Agency and other regional agencies are also involved in the response.

“The Unified Command ensures that federal, state and local agencies are coordinating closely to protect public health and the environment,” according to the news release. “A Joint Information Center (JIC) has been established to coordinate clear and consistent updates for the public and the news media from the Unified Command.”

Since Feb. 25, the command reported it has: deployed the containment booms in the Codorus and have constructed dams in the creek that feeds the Codorus to mitigate further discharges of oil; contained seven drums of lithium-ion batteries damaged in the fire; established air monitoring states at the site’s perimeter; and collected water samples from water intakes in the Susquehanna River that supply drinking water in Wrightsville and Columbia.

After the fire, Wrightsville’s Water Authority shut down its intake from the river and is drawing on a reservoir to supply water to the borough, according to borough officials.

On Monday, crews were assessing oil pools that collected in the Codorus and the Susquehanna. They also deployed additional containment booms and were monitoring air quality, according to the news release.

Residents who have questions about the response should contact the Unified Command at [email protected].