Last week, the fire suppression system at the Brunswick Executive Airport malfunctioned and released 1,450 gallons of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals into a hangar and the surrounding environment.
Cleanup efforts are ongoing, and a variety of agencies are continuing to monitor and do testing around the site. Meanwhile, many Brunswick-area residents have expressed concern about the health and environmental effects from the spill, and will be convening during a public forum at town hall at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Here’s what we know about the spill so far.
How does it compare to other spills in the past?
Maine only passed a law requiring that spills of firefighting foam be reported to the state two years ago, but federal data suggests that this was the biggest accidental discharge of the PFAS-containing foam in the state since records first started being kept 30 years ago, according to the Press Herald. It was the sixth largest spill nationally during that time frame, with bigger ones occurring in Florida, Alabama, Arizona and Ohio.
How much foam ended up leaving the hangar?
It’s not clear. David Madore, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said officials have so far collected 17,877 gallons of foam-impacted water. This is water containing PFAS from the fire suppression system, as well as pond water, water from washing off planes in the hangar and from flushing storm water lines. However, Madore said the amount of foam-impacted water does not directly reflect the amount of foam that has been recovered, as it can be diluted.
What nearby bodies of water has foam been detected in so far?
The Maine CDC has issued guidance urging people to avoid swimming, wading, boating and eating fish from several bodies of water near the spill site. They include Mere Brook (also referred to as Mare Brook), Merriconeag Stream, Picnic Pond, Site 8 Stream and ponds a, b and c.
Samples have also been taken from Harpswell Cove and surrounding retention ponds, according to the agencies responding to the spill.
How much PFAS was detected in the tests done last week?
Maine DEP took four water samples from around the airport on Aug. 19, the day of the spill, as a baseline for comparing later tests and evaluating cleanup progress. Results showed the primary compound found in the area was PFOS, a type of forever chemical that is a subset of PFAS.
PFOS was detected in a sample of foam in the storage tank at 3,230 parts per million, and when mixed with water to create the foam, it was found at 7.52 ppm.
Meanwhile, a sample from the inlet of a nearby surface water pond came up with PFOS at 1.04 ppm, and the outlet of the pond had 0.000701 ppm.
Since PFAS regulations are still new and more research continues to come out about these chemicals, guidelines for safe levels of them continue to change. For now, Maine requires remediation of drinking water when PFAS are detected at 0.04 parts per billion, which is 0.00004 ppm.
All of the samples taken in Brunswick, including in the nearby water body, are above this guideline — though they’re not from drinking water supplies.
How much more testing is now underway?
Agencies are using drones to conduct daily aerial surveillance of surface water in the area to identify where the foam may remain. Maine DEP is also continually taking samples to determine the safety of nearby well water to the east of the spill.
Maine DEP will start collecting soil samples in areas where there were significant foam deposits, Madore said. Pond retention areas are sampled every day, surface water samples are taken twice a week, and marine sampling will occur once a week, according to the agencies.
How exactly did this spill happen in the first place?
Kristine Logan, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is the quasi-governmental organization in charge of Brunswick Landing, said the foam was accidentally released from the fire suppression system because of a faulty message in the system. The last time the system was tested was about a year ago, she said.
Madore said there is not yet a final determination of the exact malfunction that happened.
Is drinking water safe? What if I have a private well?
The Brunswick & Topsham Water District is using water from a wellfield that is not close to Brunswick Landing. All drinking water at the landing is public, and therefore, is safe, officials say.
Agencies have said that previous testing data has not confirmed a connection between the contaminated site and nearby private drinking water wells. While Maine DEP does not plan to sample every single well in the community, it will take representative samples to evaluate groundwater flow and migration, and to determine if any contamination is entering wells.
Residents who want to sample their own private drinking water wells can follow water sampling guidance from Maine DEP.
