Water samples tested after Maine firefighting foam spill, below guidelines for dangerous chemicals
BRUNSWICK, Maine — Maine environmental officials said all water samples analyzed so far in the aftermath of the state’s largest recorded accidental spill of firefighting foam are below guidelines for potentially hazardous chemicals.
A fire suppression system in a hangar at Brunswick Executive Airport more than 1,400 redundancies gallons (5,300 liters) of foam concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons (190,000 liters) of water at the former Navy base on August 19. The spill prompted an investigation and also a warning from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to limit the amount of water consumption of freshwater fish from nearby water bodies.
The foam contained chemicals known as PFAS, which are linked to health problems including cancer. The foam was removed after the accident.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has sampled 34 water supplies in the area of the spill and contacted property owners to discuss the results, the agency said Thursday. The water supply will be tested every three months for a year, the agency said.
The department also evaluated eight rounds of surface water results from the nearby watershed and found that concentrations continue to decline, the agency said in a statement.
“PFAS levels in the watershed have not yet returned to pre-spill concentrations and surface water testing will continue to monitor trends,” the department statement said.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are found in everything food packaging to clothing. The Environmental Protection Agency last year proposed limits for the chemicals in drinking water.
Some fire departments have also begun phasing out the use of foam containing PFAS because the chemicals leach into groundwater and can endanger firefighters. PFAS are often described as forever chemicals because some do not break down naturally and are believed to be able to linger in the environment indefinitely.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection said soil results were also received from four areas determined to be either most likely to be affected by foam releases or at greatest risk of potential exposure to recreational users. A preliminary review of the results shows that PFAS were found in all soils tested, the department said. The comprehensive soil investigation review is still ongoing, the department said.
The department said processing fish and shellfish tissue samples will take longer. The advisories against consuming freshwater fish from nearby bodies of water remained on the Maine CDC website Monday.
Maine CDC said it advises residents to refrain from recreational activities such as swimming and boating that could result in contact with foam or affected water until the effects of foam releases on water bodies in the area have been thoroughly evaluated.