An Environmental Tragedy: The Illicit Discharge into Goose Creek

Around 12:00 pm on Saturday, February 28th, a West Chester Borough resident reported the presence of a milky white stream flow and a thick congealed substance in Goose Creek, which runs through her backyard. West Chester Borough and the PA Department of Environmental Protection were quickly alerted, and a swift investigation revealed the source of the illicit discharge in West Goshen Township along a headwater tributary of Goose Creek. Water samples were taken from the pipe outfall, and the Township and State continued to work to determine the components of the discharged substance, which has a frothy appearance, and has already lead to the death of fish in the stream. By approximately 2:30 pm, responders were able to cap the pipe with a temporary plug to prevent the contaminant from continuing to discharge into the creek. One of our board members was on the scene and reported that a HAZMAT crew arrived shortly afterwards to assist. We are still awaiting results on the identification of the substance and there is an ongoing investigation into who is responsible for this illegal discharge. Current evidence suggests that the source is from an industrial property in the 200 block of Garfield Avenue in West Goshen Township. This has had devastating impacts on the stream ecosystem, even within the first 24 hours of its recognition. Local residents have reported finding fish belly up in their backyard streams and a discoloration of the water. Goose Creek is already considered to be impaired by the high loads of pollutants, specifically sediment and phosphorus, so this only exacerbates the already compromised conditions here. We urge residents to avoid coming into contact with Goose Creek until more information is known about the toxicity of the contaminant.