A group of politicians said that the spill is the biggest of its kind in Maine’s history and the sixth biggest in the country in the last 30 years.
People in charge in Maine are asking for help because last month, thousands of gallons of toxic firefighting foam leaked from a Navy-owned fire control system at Brunswick Airport.
On August 19, a problem with a system at Brunswick Landing airport let out 1,450 gallons of emergency foam mixed with 50,000 gallons of water.
The foam, which is called aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), has PFAS in it, which are harmful chemicals that cause cancer “forever.” The Environmental Protection Agency said that samples of the foam that leaked at the airport were dangerous.
The head of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Melanie Loyzim, told the press last month that some of the foam “overflowed into the storm water system” and “made its way into the sewer system.”
Last week, the department said that the foam did not affect the public drinking water. However, people are being told to stay away from the foam.
The Town of Brunswick’s website says, “The areas around the hangar have been cleaned and inspected, and they are safe to walk and drive on.” “The storm drains that were damaged have been jetted clean.” The cleanup work around the holding ponds is still going on.
Lawmakers say that the U.S. Navy owns the building where the foam spill happened.
Most of Brunswick Landing, which used to be called Brunswick Naval Air Station, is no longer controlled by the Navy. Lawyers said that hangar four, where the spill happened, is owned by the Navy. On Monday, they asked Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, to tell them about the Navy’s work to clean up.
They wrote, “The Navy had planned to take down the fire suppression system at hangar 4 and other Brunswick facilities this month.” “What worries us even more is that thousands of gallons of AFFF are still on site as part of the fire suppression systems in more hangars at Brunswick Landing.”
Democrats Susan Collins, Angus King, and Reps. Chellie Pingre, Jared Golden, and I told Del Toro that the AFFF spill was the biggest mistake in Maine’s history and the sixth biggest in the country in the last 30 years.
“The people we represent are very worried about the short- and long-term effects of this spill on health and the environment, as well as about possible future incidents,” they wrote.”We ask that you promise to work with federal, state, and local partners to provide help as the cleanup continues.”
