Whistleblower sounds alarm about radioactive spill at US facility: 'This never should have happened'

Journalists are calling attention to a spill of radioactive wastewater from a treatment facility along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. And whistleblowers say the problem has been years in the making.

What's happening?

On Aug. 17, the state's Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that around 16,000 gallons of wastewater leaked from a 26,000-gallon storage tank at a Eureka Resources treatment plant. The "oily" fluid ended up in the river, leaving a sheen on the water. This prompted the DEP to take action to limit the spread.

The DEP later confirmed to the Public Herald that the discharge had stopped. However, the company was already under scrutiny. In 2024, whistleblowers accused Eureka Resources of environmental crimes involving radioactive fracking wastewater, leading to an investigation from the Public Herald.

Eureka entered into a consent order and agreement with the DEP in early 2025, allowing it to continue operating. Eureka continued storing radioactive fluids even after it had stopped treatment operations. But records show the company violated parts of that agreement not long after signing it.

Former employee and whistleblower Eric Steppe said the tank involved in the spill was among the most radioactive. "We were constantly having to fix those tanks from leaking," Steppe said, per the Public Herald. "This never should have happened. Someone needs to shut them down and remove everything in there."

Why are Eureka Resources' operations concerning?

Fracking wastewater can be dangerously radioactive, far exceeding safe drinking water standards. Pennsylvania's own 2016 Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials study found that Eureka's wastewater contained an average of 8,800 picocuries per liter of radium — thousands of times higher than the federal limit of 5 pCi/L.

Radioactive contamination can stick around for centuries, posing risks to ecosystems and communities. Drinking water is drawn from the Susquehanna River, meaning nearby residents could be exposed to these radionuclides. Radium, the naturally occurring radionuclide found in Eureka's storage tanks, has been linked to higher risks of cancers like lymphoma, bone cancer, and leukemia.

Another concern is alleged greenwashing by the company and questionable oversight from the state. The Public Herald noted "pure water" claims by Eureka (although the referenced site is no longer up). DEP officials also seem to be dropping the ball when it comes to holding the company accountable. 

What's being done about it?

DEP officials say they are continuing to investigate and oversee cleanup. They also confirmed that Eureka stopped accepting new waste. But the company still has its permits, allowing it to store radioactive materials — a decision critics say exposes residents and waterways to risk.

While the DEP said it's monitoring the water, the Public Herald said it is using methods that can't accurately record radium levels. As Ohio State University's Dr. Julie Weatherington-Rice explained to the Public Herald, "Pennsylvania is counting on smoke and mirrors for protection because they're not using the right test and they're not using the right equipment."

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Residents and environmental advocates want accountability and action. 

"Pennsylvania is definitely the Wild West when it comes to radiological health regulations — I've never seen anything like it," said Andrew Gross, a former head of an oil and gas radioactivity company, per the Public Herald. "And for me, especially being a guy from Louisiana, that really strikes me as odd, that we're so much better off down here than all the people who are so smart up there."

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