PHOTO PROVIDED A reader submitted the above photo of an oily sheen on the Susquehanna below the Hepburn Street Dam Friday.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has continued with its investigation following the spill from an aboveground storage tank at Eureka Resources’ Second Street, Williamsport, facility on Aug. 17.

DEP has continued to perform additional inspections.

As previously reported, DEP is working with the agencies and entities involved with this case to explore all options and resources for carrying out cleanup efforts, which will continue as long as necessary. For clean-up actions addressed by the city and county authorities, it is at their discretion whether to seek cost recovery from the responsible party.

DEP has worked with the state Fish and Boat Commission, Williamsport Sanitary Authority, Lycoming County Emergency Management Agency, Bureau of Codes in the City of Williamsport and Williamsport Bureau of Fire.

Eureka Resources has incurred penalties from DEP for multiple facilities through multiple programs.

Under DEP’s Waste Management Program:

• For the Standing Stone facility, Eureka previously paid $6,000 in stipulated civil penalties, and paid $6,000 Tuesday toward $6,100 in stipulated penalties for the January 2025 Consent Order and Agreement (COA).

• For the Catawissa Avenue, Williamsport, facility, DEP issued an Assessment of Civil Penalty (ACP) for $5,500, which is due Aug. 31.

• For the Second Street facility, the Administrative Order (previously provided) is currently the only active enforcement action.

Under DEP’s Air Quality Program:

• ACPs of $1,000 each were issued to both the Standing Stone and Second Street facilities on April 5, 2024. Both were paid.

• ACPs of $2,000 each were issued to both the Standing Stone and Second Street Williamsport facilities on May 7. These have not yet been paid.

• Although civil penalties were not included in the DEP’s January Consent Order and Agreement, this is an ongoing investigation, and DEP cannot comment on potential future enforcement.

• In response to DEP’s Aug. 19 Administrative Order, Eureka Resources timely submitted a written report and corrective action plan to DEP on Aug. 25. The plan and schedule addresses the clean-up and removal of oil and gas liquid waste at the Second Street property, as well as removal of residual waste from all three Eureka facilities.

DEP investigated a report received Friday regarding a photograph of material floating on the West Branch Susquehanna near the Hepburn Street Dam, according to the DEP.

” A staff member from DEP’s Clean Water Program visited the site this afternoon. The photograph provided by the complainant, taken Thursday morning, did not reflect site conditions during DEP’s visit. The absorbent boom placed following the Eureka spill was in place, and little to no foam as shown in the photograph was present.

The foam in the photograph provided by the complainant resembles a naturally-occurring foam that can intermittently accumulate at dam sites and was noted on a prior DEP inspection report as present at the site and unrelated to the Eureka spill.

DEP reached out to the Williamsport Sanitary Authority (WSA), and they plan to investigate to ensure there is no illicit discharge coming from the municipal stormwater system discharge point at that location.

WSA also noted to DEP that individuals have tampered with the booms placed at the Hepburn Street Dam area, requiring their environmental contractors to reposition them. The public is kindly asked not to tamper with pollution control devices,” said Megan Lehman, regional communications manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Northcentral Regional Office.