BRUNSWICK, Maine — Since the spill of more than 1,400 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) foam at Brunswick Landing, people who live in the area and local leaders have been outspoken, citing worries about water contamination.
The toxic firefighting foam contains high levels of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, and many of those people want assurances that something like this won't happen again.
On Tuesday, that effort reached the state level with lawmakers already taking action of their own.
Right before NEWS CENTER Maine spoke to him Tuesday, Rep. Dan Ankeles, who represents the area where the spill happened, had just submitted three placeholder bill titles at the State House, specifically related to the use of AFFF foam.
"There needs to be some legislative response to this," Ankeles said.
Ankeles' bills would provide authority to remove the foam from facilities around the state, create takeback programs to aid the removal, and collect inventory data on how much foam is still in use across Maine.
"We all want the people of Brunswick to be healthy and safe," Ankeles added.
The Department of Environmental Protection has previously stated the spill did not contaminate public drinking water, but there is still a chance it could have affected nearby water wells.
This week, according to one of the DEP's updates, about 45 homeowners in the area of Coombs Road near Brunswick Landing will get a knock on their door. Representatives from the DEP say they will be visiting homes to discuss testing drinking water wells.
"I don't want, as a Brunswick resident, to have to deal with learning there's PFAS in our town water and well water," Haley Bernier said, who has been outspoken on social media about the threat from PFAS.
Bernier has been asking for immediate action, not just regarding the cleanup, but also in preventative measures.
"Maybe just shutting it down temporarily until another plan is in place instead of risking another spill in the future," Bernier said.
An official with the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA), which oversees the area where the Brunswick spill occurred, said Tuesday they would gladly disable the foam systems right away, but they are bound by regulations that create barriers.
"This legislation would help clear that away," Rep. Ankeles said.
Although Ankeles believes the legislation could help, it won't be the quick fix many are looking for, but it is part of a team effort some have been waiting to see.
"I feel like in this day and age we can figure it out, work with Legislature and all the officials and come together as a community and clean it up," Bernier said.
The bills are merely in their title phase, but Ankeles said he doesn't anticipate much opposition, and even a representative from MRRA said they would gladly support legislative action.