Maine lawmakers seek Navy help after massive toxic foam spill

Maine leaders are asking for help after thousands of gallons of toxic firefighting foam spilled from the fire suppression system at a Navy-owned Brunswick airport last month.

A system malfunction at Brunswick Landing Airport released 1,450 gallons of firefighting foam mixed with 50,000 gallons of water on Aug. 19.

The foam, known as aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, contains PFAS, “forever chemicals” that are toxic and carcinogenic. Samples of the foam that leaked at the airport have been classified as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency, authorities said.

Melanie Loyzim, commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said at a news conference last month that the foam “made its way into the sewer system and some of it overflowed into the storm water system.”

The department said public drinking water was not affected by the foam last week, but residents are being urged to stay away from the foam.

“The areas surrounding the hangar have been cleaned, assessed and are now safe to walk and drive,” according to the City of Brunswick’s website. “The affected storm drains have been hosed down. Cleanup operations are underway in the retention pond areas.”

U.S. Navy owns hangar where foam leak occurred, lawmakers say

Most of Brunswick Landing, formerly known as Brunswick Naval Air Station, is no longer under Navy control. But Hangar 4, where the spill occurred, is Navy-owned, lawmakers said. They asked Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on Monday to brief them on the Navy’s involvement in the cleanup efforts.

“The Navy had planned to remove the fire suppression system from Hangar 4 and other Brunswick facilities this month,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are also concerned that thousands of gallons of AFFF remain on site as part of fire suppression systems at other hangars at Brunswick Landing.”

The lawmakers — Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Reps. Chellie Pingre and Jared Golden — told Del Toro the incident was the largest AFFF spill in Maine history and the sixth largest in the country in the past 30 years.

“Our constituents are deeply concerned about the short- and long-term health and environmental impacts of this oil spill, as well as potential future incidents,” they wrote. “We ask that you commit to coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to provide assistance as the cleanup continues.”