Food dye spilled into Lancaster County creek: Department of Environmental Protection
MANOR TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM) — Police in Lancaster County are investigating an incident where a food-grade dye was accidentally dumped into a creek on Saturday morning.
“It is a shocking color,” said Harrisburg University Earth System Sciences Assistant Professor Michael Meyer.
According to a Facebook post by the Manor Township Police Department, they said someone dumped a substance into Little Conestoga Creek, near the intersection of Hershey Mill Road and Fieldgate Drive. Originally, police thought that the substance was anti-freeze.
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The Manor Township Police Department then announced at around 11 a.m. that the Department of Environmental Protection determined that the substance in the creek was a food-grade dye that was not harmful to animals or humans.
Peter Taraborelli, who is the public information officer with the Mountville Fire Company, stated that the call came in around 8 a.m.
“Immediately we contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the local hazmat unit,” said Taraborelli.
Crews were able to trace the source of the dye back to a retention pond on the east side of an AmeriCold factory located in Mountville.
Taraborelli stated that it is a food-grade dye used for tracing leaks, and has been considered accidental at this time.
A Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson says a water-soluble dye was being used in a tank repair, the tank was compromised leading the material to mix into the creek.
Taraborelli says with the information they have, no one should be concerned.
“We are just going to have to have it run its course and dilute itself into the stream over the next few days,” says Taraborelli.
Courtesy of Manor Township Police Courtesy of Manor Township Police Courtesy of Manor Township Police
We asked Michael Meyer how long it may take for the creek to no longer be green.
“If it was summer and everything was warmer, and we had a full sun it might be a few days, especially as like rains come through and help dilute things. Since it is winter, we don’t have as much sun. We don’t have as much warmth. It will probably take a week or two for things to really like flush out of the system,” said Meyer.
According to HazMat 2 Environmental Fire Rescue, there is no concern for the impact on the public any drinking water or wildlife in the area.
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