Current:Home > StocksMaine workers make progress in cleanup of spilled firefighting foam at former Navy base -Core Financial Strategies
Maine workers make progress in cleanup of spilled firefighting foam at former Navy base
View
Date:2025-04-13 20:36:22
BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) — Firefighting foam in a hangar at Brunswick Executive Airport has been been removed, and mitigation is underway on four retention ponds following Maine’s biggest accidental spill of the fire suppressant on record, officials said Monday.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention advised the public not to consume or to limit consumption of freshwater fish from four nearby bodies of water following the accidental discharge of firefighting foam containing harmful chemicals known as PFAS.
An investigation is underway into why a fire suppression system discharged Aug. 19 in Hangar 4, releasing 1,450 gallons (5,490 liters) of firefighting foam concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons (190,000 liters) of water at the former Navy base. Federal records show the spill is the biggest accidental discharge in Maine since its recordkeeping began in the 1990s.
Aircraft that were doused are undergoing a final cleaning inside the hangar, and then the hangar will be cleaned for a final time, officials said Monday. Four vacuum trucks were deployed to remove foam from the retention ponds, officials said.
PFAS are associated with health problems including several types of cancer, and they are found in everything from food packaging to clothing, in addition to firefighting foam. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency, for the first time, proposed limits on the so-called forever chemicals in drinking water.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is overseeing the remediation at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, now known as Brunswick Landing. The base, which officially closed in 2011, had automated fire suppression in large hangars that once housed P-3 Orion patrol aircraft and other planes.
veryGood! (317)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- How a new hard hat technology can protect workers better from concussion
- Gwyneth Paltrow’s Daughter Apple Martin Pokes Fun at Her Mom in Rare Footage
- 58 Cheap Things to Make Your Home Look Expensive
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- The VA says it will provide abortions in some cases even in states where it's banned
- Marijuana use is outpacing cigarette use for the first time on record
- Who are the Rumpels? Couple says family members were on private plane that crashed.
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- U.S. Geothermal Industry Heats Up as It Sees Most Gov’t Support in 25 Years
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- 24-Hour Flash Deal: Save $100 on a Dyson Airwrap Bundle
- The unresponsive plane that crashed after flying over restricted airspace was a private jet. How common are these accidents?
- Traffic Deaths Are At A 20-Year High. What Makes Roads Safe (Or Not)?
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- These Mother's Day Gifts From Kardashian-Jenner Brands Will Make Mom Say You're Doing Amazing, Sweetie
- The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthier
- The Barbie movie used so much pink paint it caused a shortage
Recommendation
The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
Congress Launches Legislative Assault on Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan
Cardi B and Offset's Kids Kulture and Wave Look So Grown Up in New Family Video
Maria Menounos Recalls Fearing She Wouldn't Get to Meet Her Baby After Cancer Diagnosis
Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
Utah district bans Bible in elementary and middle schools after complaint calls it sex-ridden
Today’s Climate: May 26, 2010
Mothers tell how Pakistan's monsoon floods have upended their lives