(Lancaster, Pa. television station WGAL posted the following article on its website on August 12.)
LANCASTER, Pa. — Crews are cleaning up a hazardous material spill in the Susquehanna River.
It is a combination of fuel oil and industrial waste from the Harrisburg Norfolk Southern rail yard, which flowed into some underground sewer lines and into the Susquehanna River.
Harrisburg Public Works crews spotted the oil flowing into the river around 7:15 a.m. Monday. They began pumping the waste out of the sewer line. They also placed several large booms into the river to contain the spill.
Dauphin County Emergency Management Association officials said the spill has been contained, and there is no risk to the city’s water supply.
What emergency crews want now is for more heavy rain to help flush out the chemicals.
“The quicker the rain we get into the sewer system, the quicker we can flood the sewer system, and wash it right into the river, and clean it up tomorrow,” said Melissa Ventresca, with Dauphin County EMA.
Norfolk Southern officials said a waste water separator which takes the old oil out of the water on rail cars, was overflowing because of heavy rains, and that caused the chemicals to flow into the sewer lines. Because the sewer lines were overflowing due to the recent rain, the chemical went into the river.