BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 21, 2024
The U.S. Navy had been planning to remove thousands of gallons of PFAS-laden firefighting foam from Brunswick Executive Airport next month, when a large portion of that foam was instead released during a spill on Monday that sent some of the toxic chemicals into the environment. During a news conference held by state and local officials on Wednesday afternoon, Kristine Logan, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, said that the navy is still planning to come to Brunswick on Sept. 16 to remove the remaining foam from the airport that wasn’t part of the accidental dump. Because of health and environmental concerns surrounding PFAS, which can cause cancer, birth defects and other health issues over long periods of exposure, the U.S. military is required to remove PFAS-containing firefighting foam from airports by October of this year.