A York County, Pennsylvania salvage yard is being forced to shut down after years of environmental violations — and its owner could be heading to jail.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an administrative order on Tuesday (March 17) directing J&K Salvage, located at 1099 Kings Mill Road in Spring Garden Township, to immediately stop accepting and processing waste. The agency also filed a separate action asking a court to jail the salvage yard's owner for failing to follow a 2024 court order.
The DEP's shutdown order and court filing come on top of an already active legal battle with the salvage yard. The situation became more urgent after a massive fire on Wednesday (February 25) caused thousands of gallons of oil and other fluids to leak into a tributary that feeds Codorus Creek, which flows directly into the Susquehanna River. The spill triggered weeks of cleanup and water quality testing.
DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley was direct in her criticism of J&K's ownership. "The actions of J&K Salvage's ownership over the years have shown that they are not willing or capable of complying with Pennsylvania's laws and regulations," Shirley said in a written statement. "We will not tolerate flagrant disregard of the laws and regulations that exist to protect public health and Pennsylvania's air, land, and water."
The DEP's administrative order requires J&K Salvage to stop taking in all solid waste, begin removing waste already on the property, provide the DEP with weekly waste receipts, and submit an updated plan for handling pollutants that could enter stormwater runoff.
The court filing is tied specifically to the yard's owner, identified as Harry J. Darrah III, also referred to as Joe Darrah. Darrah has not taken any steps to address a contempt finding from 2024, when a Commonwealth Court judge found him in violation of a 2021 court order related to the yard's automobile salvage and scrap metal operations. He also has not paid a $40,750 civil penalty that was previously imposed.
The DEP asked the Commonwealth Court to issue a bench warrant directing Darrah to report to York County Prison to serve 45 days of incarceration — a sentence that was already built into the 2024 court order as a consequence for non-compliance. The agency also asked the court to impose fines of $250 for each day the company has remained out of compliance.
Shirley emphasized that the new shutdown order is separate from the February fire. "DEP has ordered J&K to shut down and clean up their operations, we are going to court to get them to comply with those orders," she said.
In a separate federal case, the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance are awaiting a ruling from a U.S. District Court judge on their request to temporarily shut the salvage yard until it obtains a Clean Water Act permit from the DEP. As of Thursday (March 19), a judge had not yet ruled on the DEP's court filings either. A message left at J&K Salvage on Thursday was not returned.