The owner of J&K Salvage in York County, Pennsylvania, Harry Darrah III, faces charges after an audit revealed missing business records. State Police charged the 64-year-old last week, accusing him of failing to maintain required records at the salvage yard, which was the site of a massive fire in February. Darrah reportedly told auditors that the records were destroyed in the blaze.
According to court documents, a trooper visited the business on March 24 for a scheduled audit. When asked for specific PennDOT forms, Darrah claimed they were not kept on site. He further stated that forms from the last two years, which should have been available, were lost in the fire.
The situation at J&K Salvage is compounded by ongoing legal battles. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has accused Darrah of violating a closure order issued after the February fire. The DEP's administrative order requires the yard to cease operations and clean up its site. The agency has also filed a court petition asking for fines due to continued violations.
DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley criticized the yard's management, saying, "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." The DEP has requested the court to enforce a previous contempt finding against Darrah, which includes a 45-day jail sentence and additional fines.
In a separate federal case, the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance are seeking a temporary shutdown of the salvage yard until it secures a Clean Water Act permit. As of now, a ruling on this matter is still pending.