LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — The state Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday that it could take 30 days to receive test results for water samples taken at Donegal Creek, where 30 fish were found dead Sunday.
The DEP responded to a section of the creek above Marietta Avenue that afternoon for a report of a fish kill. The majority of the fish were located in the downstream reaches.
On Monday, the DEP collected samples, which will be tested for volatile organics, semi-volatile organics, pesticides and herbicides.
The DEP noted that all field tests (pH and dissolved oxygen) appeared within normal ranges and stream appeared clear with no malodors or apparent accumulation of solids, sheen, or foam. Live fish populations (small killifish and minnows) were found in the stream.
The samples will be tested for volatile organics, semi-volatile organics, pesticides and herbicides, the state DEP says.