Chesapeake Bay Foundation: York County Junkyard Fire, Oil Spill Casts Spotlight On Need for Enforcement

As spills of raw sewage and jet fuel into parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed have been grabbing headlines in the past two months, Pennsylvania is now dealing with 10,000 gallons of oil that seeped into a York County creek and the Susquehanna River.

A fire that burned for two hours at J&K Salvage, an automobile salvage yard in Spring Garden Township, York County on Feb. 25, caused dozens of containers of oil and petroleum-based fluids to fail

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that roughly 10,000 gallons of various oils seeped into the ground and an unnamed stream that enters into Codorus Creek, which feeds into the Susquehanna River.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said that oil and other fluids that had flowed into the creek could be seen as far downstream as the Susquehanna. Oil pools found in the river are being assessed.

The mixture of waste oils, hydraulic fluids, and other vehicle‑related contaminants carries toxic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and chemical additives that can pose short and long-term risks to human health and the ecosystem, including drinking water sources.

Elsewhere in the Chesapeake Bay watershed:

-- The flow of 240 million gallons of raw sewage began to drain into the Potomac River on Jan. 19.

-- A spill of 4,700 gallons of jet fuel entered Virginia’s James River on Feb. 13.

In response to the oil pollution that occurred in York County, Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Pennsylvania Science Policy and Advocacy Director, had these comments--

“This spill is a crisis that needs immediate and decisive action.

“What has happened to the Codorus Creek is a warning that we have thousands of facilities like the one that caught fire and could be sources of other environmental crises across Pennsylvania and Bay watershed. Most of the time no one notices them.

“The aftermath downstream of this fire makes it clear how critical it is to have the resources from the state and federal levels to enforce strong regulations and respond swiftly and effectively when our water and environment are threatened.”

“We will be following the cleanup of the Codorus spill closely. Federal and state officials must ensure this dangerous pollution does not spread further and the site is fully remediated.

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here to support their work.

Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.

How Clean Is Your Stream

DEP’s draft 2026 Water Quality Assessment includes a mapping tool that allows you to check on the status of water quality near you.

Click Here to check how clean your stream is.

(Photo: LancasterOnline.com- York County Hazmat  Team.)

NewsClips:

-- LancasterOnline: Cleanup Ongoing After Pollutants From York County Junkyard Fire Found In Susquehanna River

-- York Daily Record: 10,000 Gallons Of Oil Spilled During J&K Junkyard Fire, Officials Say

-- Inquirer: ‘Milky White’ Substance Was Leaking Into Chester County Creek, And A Business Could Face Fines 

[Posted: March 7, 2026]  PA Environment Digest