AUGUSTA – A measure sponsored by Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, to help protect drinking water from forever chemicals in private wells received final passage in the Maine House. The bill received bipartisan support with a vote of 104-37.
LD 2115 would establish the Well Contamination Response Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection. It would provide funding for the investigation, sampling, monitoring, abatement, remediation or mitigation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), often referred to as forever chemicals, contamination in soil and groundwater, including in private drinking water wells.
“These votes bring us one step closer to guaranteeing universal access to clean water,” said Ankeles. “Whether you live in a water district or you rely on a well, you shouldn’t have to worry about what will happen to you and your family when you fill your cup. Today’s overwhelming bipartisan vote in the House is a clear demonstration that this measure should be funded and signed into law.”
The measure from Ankeles comes more than a year and a half after the worst spill of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) in Maine history happened in the heart of Brunswick. On Aug. 19, 2024, Hangar 4, a Navy-owned property located on the former Brunswick Naval Air Station managed by the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, experienced a fault in its fire suppression system, triggering the release of 1,450 gallons of AFFF, mixed with 50,000 gallons of water.
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 concerned about PFAS contamination in their private wells.
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.
The bill faces a final vote in the Senate in the coming days.
Rep. 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.
Contact:
Meagan Sway (Ankeles) | 917-913-7369