PFAS Spill at Brunswick Landing: A Letter from the Casco Baykeeper

Dear Friends of Casco Bay,

On August 19, 2024, the fire suppression system in hangar four at Brunswick Landing (formerly Brunswick Naval Air Station) malfunctioned, discharging 1,450 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) mixed with over 50,000 gallons of water. AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This toxic slurry filled the hangar, spilled into an oil/water separator and into retention pond A. The spill extended into Mare Brook. We do not yet know how extensive or persistent the spill will be, but are working to find out.

This is the largest accidental AFFF spill in the state of Maine, and the sixth largest in the U.S. in the past 30 years. This spill is scary, difficult to comprehend, and very upsetting. We are remaining calm and focused. We had already planned to work with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to measure PFAS levels around Brunswick Landing. As a result of the spill, we spoke with United States Coast Guard and Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) responders in the Unified Command set up to clean the site. Based on those conversations, we are increasing both the number of sites and times we collect data to better understand how PFAS has entered Mare Brook and what levels are reaching Harpswell Cove. This data will complement data being collected by others to assess levels of PFAS in publicly restricted areas, in fish and shellfish tissues, in drinking water, and more. Our expertise is in water quality monitoring, and our partnership with Bigelow Laboratory ensures our data will be analyzed at a state-certified lab and will be of very high quality. The data will be shared with regulators and will be publicly available.

We also have spoken with DEP’s enforcement unit and know that they are investigating the spill to determine who may be responsible and possible legal actions. We know some facts but do not have ready access to all of the contracts and other agreements related to the hangers at Brunswick Landing. The investigation may take a while, and it will be hard but necessary to remain patient. We will continue to check in with DEP and track the investigation progress.

Our biggest concern is supporting efforts to ensure this never happens again. We plan to support actions by state and federal legislators and others to make certain fire-fighting systems in the other hangers at Brunswick Landing do not malfunction and cause more harm to our beloved Bay, its wildlife, habitats, and people. The solutions likely will be complicated and expensive. But the harm to our treasured Bay, and us, is even more complex and costly.

Please know how much we care and that we are steadily doing our part to understand the consequences of the spill, advocate for ways to clean it up, and work to prevent this from happening again.

With a full heart,

Ivy Frignoca
Casco BAYKEEPER®
Friends of Casco Bay

For more information, updates, and resources, please visit these websites:

The town of Brunswick has a page on their website dedicated to a variety of links.
DEP updates: sampling of ground water has expanded in recent days per the state DEP website.
DEP has information on PFAS levels in public water systems.
Brunswick Landing is updating their website regularly with information and has compiled a list of FAQs.