Brunswick Naval Air Station AFFF (PFAS) Release

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On August 19, 2024 at approximately 7:30 am, fb88 DEP was notified by the Brunswick Fire Department that approximately 1,450 gallons of AFFF concentrate mixed with approximately 50,000 gallons of water was released at the Brunswick Executive Airport at Hangar 4. The release made its way out of the hangar into an oil/water separator and into nearby stormwater ponds. The release of AFFF concentrate mixed with agitated water resulted in the generation of foam at and near the hangar, through the sewer system and the stormwater collection system.

Responders on the scene that morning began coordination internally and with multiple agencies and organizations, ultimately resulting in establishing a Unified Command (UC) on August 20, 2024. Members of the UC include:

  • fb88 Department of Environmental Protection
  • fb88 Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Town of Brunswick
  • U.S. Coast Guard

The Brunswick Naval Air Station is an active remediation site under the that is administered by the , , and fb88 DEP.

November 12, 2024 - Three additional effluent sample results from the Brunswick Sewer District (BSD) have recently been added to the PFAS map. As a result of the AFFF spill on August 19, 2024, PFAS entered the public sanitary sewer system of the BSD wastewater treatment facility that discharges to the Androscoggin River. The recent results continue to indicate a steady downward trend in effluent PFAS levels over the sampling period since the spill. Additional sampling is planned.

Timeline and Documents: