AUGUSTA – Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, has introduced three measures – LD 400, LD 222 and LD 407 – that are designed to transition Maine away from using Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), a toxic firefighting foam that can be devastating to the environment. The Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a single public hearing at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 for all three bills.
LD 400 would direct the Office of the State Fire Marshall to conduct a full inventory of the state’s remaining AFFF. LD 222 would establish a statewide take-back program for AFFF that is similar to other Maine product stewardship programs. Finally, LD 407 would ban AFFF from all properties owned, leased or managed by the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, or MRRA, the quasi-governmental agency that has been managing the base property since its 2011 closure.
“No other community should have to experience what the people of Brunswick experienced last summer and in the months that followed,” said Ankeles. “These bills give us the means to get this toxic foam out of our state in a way that is thoughtful and cost-effective. I’m looking forward to the people of Brunswick being able to tell their story to my colleagues so that we can all take a stand for public health, clean waterways, our working waterfront and our constituents’ peace of mind.”
On Aug. 19, 2024, Hangar 4, a Navy-owned property located on the former Brunswick Naval Air Station managed by MRRA, experienced a fault in its fire suppression system, triggering the release of 1,450 gallons of AFFF, mixed with 50,000 gallons of water. It was the worst spill of its kind in Maine’s history and took place in the fastest-growing commercial and residential part of Brunswick.
Toxic foam entered the local stormwater and sewer system and flowed into the groundwater, multiple watersheds, Harpswell Cove and the Androscoggin River. The foam did not enter the public water system but did leave nearby residents, especially south-southeast of the spill, concerned about their private wells.
MRRA, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Navy have all spent the ensuing months removing foam from the area, but the damage remains extensive. Periodic testing continues with respect to groundwater, wells and marine life.
Exposure to the PFAS chemicals contained in AFFF are associated with lower birth weights, reduced effectiveness of vaccines, bone irregularities, higher cholesterol and multiple types of cancer.
Members of the public can testify in person, testify over Zoom or submit written testimony. Each member of the public who testifies in real time will have three minutes to address the committee. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee is located in Room 216 of the Cross State Office building, which is immediately adjacent to the State House.
Ankeles, a member of both the Transportation Committee and the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, is serving his second term in the Maine House and represents District 100, a central portion of Brunswick that includes the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
Ankeles’ three toxic firefighting foam bills to receive public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 26
Contact: Brian Lee (Ankeles) | 305-965-2744