The state Department of Environmental Protection has cited the Bunner Island Steam Electric Station for discharging oil into the Susquehanna River and also causing a temperature fluctuation that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of fish.
The Notice of Violation, issued Friday afternoon, cites two separate incidents that occurred in two days last week.
The suspected issues with the East Manchester Township power plant were first reported last Tuesday by a fisherman who, while fishing downstream from the plant’s warm-water discharge, reported seeing an oily sheen on the water.
The angler, who monitors the river’s temperature, said he also recorded a large drop in temperature over a short time. A sharp drop in temperature, which happens when the power plant shuts down suddenly, can cause thermal shock to the fish, which can prove fatal.
He reported both findings to the state Fish & Boat Commission and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper. They, in turn, reported the incident to DEP, which immediately investigated.