Update 3: Unified Command Provides Update Following Overnight Rain at Response Site in York, Pa.

YORK, PA (March 6, 2026) – The Unified Command continues response operations following overnight heavy rainfall at the site of an oil spill at a salvage yard in York, Pa. 

Crews were on site early this morning checking containment measures and surveying for any additional oil deposits or sheen. Responders replaced or repositioned containment and deflection boom and assessed impacts to underflow dams. 

A large vacuum truck with a high-powered suction system is now being used on site to safely collect, transport, and dispose of oil-water mixtures and contaminated fluids from the sites. 

Prior to the storm, crews removed approximately 2,000 gallons of oily water from the unnamed tributary on the salvage yard. 

“Even with the heavy rain overnight, our Philadelphia Street boom is working as designed and remains in good shape,” said Incident Commander Ashley Nilsen, EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “One of the reasons we place boom at multiple locations is so there’s layered backup measures in case we do lose one, we still have other protection in place. We also removed a good volume of the oil-water mixture before the weather moved in, which really helped limit potential impacts to the creek.”

Due to the increased water flow, some unrecovered oil or product may have moved downstream and could appear as a sheen on the surface of the water. A sheen is a thin, rainbow-colored film. While it can be visible over a wide area, it typically represents a very thin layer of material. Containment and absorbent boom is deployed downstream to help capture and recover floating product.

Future Actions

Crews will continue to conduct mitigation, containment, and recovery activities along the unnamed tributary, Codorus Creek, and Susquehanna River. Water sampling, air monitoring, and site assessment work is ongoing. 

The Unified Command’s top priority is to ensure the health and safety of the affected public and responders. 

The Unified Command consists of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), York County Hazardous Materials Team, York Area Fire/York Regional Emergency Management, and Spring Garden Township. 

A website has been created to ensure information is readily accessible to the public: response.epa.gov/YorkSalvageYardFire.

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Update 2: Unified Command Continues Cleanup and Mitigation Efforts for Oil Spill at Salvage Yard in York, Pa.

YORK, PA (March 5, 2026) – The Unified Command, consisting of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), York County Hazardous Materials Team, York Area Fire/York Regional Emergency Management, and Spring Garden Township, is continuing coordinated air, land, and water operations to mitigate, contain, and cleanup oily water and oiled debris in and near Codorus Creek and an unnamed tributary associated with a recent fire at a salvage yard in York, Pa.

Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Techniques (SCAT) crews are documenting shoreline conditions and mapping areas of oiling along the Codorus Creek, Susquehanna River, unnamed tributary located on the salvage yard. This information guides responders in their efforts to remove oil and oiled debris.

Fan-propelled boats (air boats) and utility boats are being used to safely access shallow and/or debris-laden sections of Codorus Creek and the Susquehanna River. These small boats enable crews to place and adjust booms closer to shorelines and within narrow areas.

Response crews continue to deploy preventative booming on Codorus Creek and the Susquehanna River to help prevent downstream migration of oil and protect sensitive areas. Crews are coordinating with SCAT teams on boom placement to address water conditions and enhance the capture of surface oil and debris.

Aerial drones are capturing imagery of boom placement, river conditions, and containment operations on the unnamed tributary, Codorus Creek, and the Susquehanna River. These images give the Unified Command information to fine-tune boom locations and plan current and future containment and cleanup. Drone flights are weather-dependent.

Responders have collected water samples from the unnamed tributary located on the salvage yard property upstream, downstream, and adjacent to the incident. This data supports ongoing water quality assessments and helps define the extent of impacts from the fire. As of March 4th, preliminary laboratory results confirmed that mitigation efforts along the unnamed tributary were successfully preventing oil from migrating into Codorus Creek.

Residents or local media who have questions about the response activities should contact the Unified Command Joint Information Center (JIC) at YorkSYF.pio@gmail.com.

A website has been created to ensure information is readily accessible to the public: response.epa.gov/YorkSalvageYardFire.

Future Actions
Responders will continue to conduct aerial assessments and deploy resources to support containment and recovery operations. Water sampling is ongoing.
Unified Command will continue to provide updates on response activities to the public.

The Unified Command’s top priority is to ensure the health and safety of the affected public and responders.
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Unified Command Responds to Salvage Yard Fire and Oil Spill in York, Pa.

YORK, PA (March 2, 2026) – Local, state, and federal emergency response personnel have formed a Unified Command in response to a building fire and associated oil spill that occurred at J&K Salvage in York, Pa., on February 25, 2026.

Just before 2 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, emergency responders were dispatched to a commercial fire in the Spring Garden Township on the property of the salvage yard located at 1099 Kings Mill Road. Responders extinguished the fire at approximately 4 pm. The fire melted several dozen containers holding approximately 10,000 gallons of various oils, which seeped into the soil and a nearby unnamed tributary that leads to the Codorus Creek, creating the potential for migration beyond the immediate site.

The response is being coordinated under a Unified Command comprised of:

• (EPA) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• (PADEP) Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• York County Hazardous Materials Team
• York Area Fire/York Regional Emergency Management
• Spring Garden Township

Supporting partners to the Unified Command include:

• U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team
• Pennslvania Emergency Management Agency
• South Central PA Taskforce, a joint taskforce representing nine area counties
• Eastern York Emergency Management Agency

The Unified Command ensures that federal, state and local agencies are coordinating closely to protect public health and the environment. 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.

Unified Command Activities to Date        

Since February 25, responders have:

• Set up containment booms along Codorus Creek and constructed underflow dams in the unnamed tributary to mitigate any further discharge of oil.
• Contained seven drums of lithium-ion batteries damaged in the fire.
• Established air monitoring stations along the site perimeter.
• Collected water samples from downstream water intakes in the Susquehanna River in Wrightsville and Columbia, Pa.

Crews deployed today (Monday, March 2, 2026) are monitoring air quality, positioning additional booms, and assessing oil pools along the Codorus and the Susquehanna River. Unified Command will continue to provide updates on ongoing cleanup and assessment activities to the public.

Residents or local media who have questions about the response activities should contact the Unified Command JIC at YorkSYF.pio@gmail.com.