AUGUSTA –– Three bills proposed by Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, that would transition Maine away from toxic firefighting foam, have earned the bipartisan endorsement of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Bills initiating a statewide inventory and take-back program for aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF, both won unanimous support on Wednesday, March 5, while a bill directing the removal of all AFFF from the former Brunswick Naval Air Station advanced on a 10-3 vote on Tuesday, March 19. AFFF is a foam made with per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals,” that do not break down over time.
“The people of Brunswick told the story of what they have endured for the last eight months, and I’m proud to say that the committee listened,” said Ankeles. “Now, we’re on track to prevent future contamination both in Brunswick and throughout the entire state. It’s time to pass and fund these bills and get them signed into law.”
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.
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.
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 environmental disaster that took place in Brunswick was preventable,” said Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick. “Passing these laws would ensure a similar disaster couldn’t happen in another Maine community.”
LD 222, LD 400 and LD 407 will come before the full House and Senate for further votes in the coming weeks.
Ankeles is serving his second term in the Maine House and represents House District 100, a central portion of Brunswick that includes the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. He serves on both the Transportation Committee and the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Contact: Brian Lee (Ankeles) | 305-965-2744
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