Brunswick Executive Airport adopts extended PFAS cleanup plan

Courtesy / Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Brunswick Executive Airport was the site of a PFAS spill in August 2024.

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By Tina Fischer

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority have agreed on an action plan to address an August 2024 accidental release of 1,450 gallons of PFAS-containing firefighting foam from a fire suppression system at the Brunswick Executive Airport at Brunswick Landing.

The foam reached several local bodies of water, including the Androscoggin River, Harpswell Cove, Merriconeag Stream and Mare Brook.

Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority has removed all PFAS-containing foam from the facility's fire suppression system and the MRRA will further undertake a number of actions to protect against the risk of a similar incident in the future, according to a press release from the EPA.

The MRRA is required to submit a detailed scope of work for EPA review and approval by Dec. 31, which will outline the plan to clean or replace fire suppression systems in the affected hangars and ensure the permanent removal of PFAS-containing materials.

“We view this agreement as an opportunity to demonstrate MRRA’s proactive leadership in environmental compliance, innovation, and accountability,” said Daniel B. Stevenson, executive director of MRRA. “We’re moving swiftly and responsibly to implement long-term solutions that protect public health, our waterways, and our regional economy.”

EPA New England Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn said that the agreement with MRRA "will better protect Maine residents and local water quality so that a release like this never happens again."

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority is a public municipal corporation established by the state legislature to manage the redevelopment of the former 3,200-acre Naval Air Station, now known as Brunswick Landing, which includes Brunswick Executive Airport.