Hundreds of dead fish were found in the Susquehanna River near a power plant in York County earlier this week, prompting the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to launch an investigation.
A local fisherman notified the commission Tuesday night after spotting the fish while in the river near Brunner Island, said Mike Parker, the commission’s director of communications.
The island is home to a power plant, the Brunner Island Steam Electric Station.
A waterway conservation officer reported about 400-500 dead fish near the island Wednesday morning, Parker said. Several species of fish, including channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, suckers, and carp, were found among the dead fish.
The commission told PennLive that they would not speculate on the cause of the fish kill while the incident is under investigation.
The commission’s investigation will determine whether the fish died of natural causes or not. If an individual, business or organization is found responsible for a fish kill, the commission will seek damages through a settlement or lawsuit, Parker said.
Fish near Brunner Island are known to congregate in the shallow discharge channel of the power plant, especially during the winter, because of the warmer waters, according to Parker.
The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversees the regulation of environmental guidelines for businesses like the Brunner Island power plant, Parker added.
Ted Evgeniadis, of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper’s office, told PennLive that a faulty pump and hose caused the oil to leak into the river near Brunner Island on Tuesday. Evgeniadis also said that the power plant had shut down earlier in the week and noted that technical issues during the process could cause sudden changes in water temperature, killing the fish with temperature shock.
Evgeniadis shared a video of the dead fish on YouTube.
The DEP was notified of the oil and also responded to the area, according to the riverman’s office.
The Fish and Boat Commission could not confirm whether oil or any other substance was found in the river where the dead fish were found.
Evgeniadis, who is notified of any change in water temperature in the discharge channel of more than six degrees per hour, said his office has not received a temperature notification this week.
However, a power unit trip to Brunner Island last week caused the water in the discharge channel to change 10 degrees per hour, according to the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper’s office.
Although fish kills are not uncommon in the Susquehanna, Parker said extreme temperature changes, low oxygen levels in the water, and human error can lead to large numbers of fish deaths.
PennLive also covered the fish kill in an episode of “Today in Pa.” podcast.
