A worker adjusts a colleague’s hazmat suit hood as crews cleaned up foam at Picnic Pond on Aug. 22. Kristian Moravec / The Times Record

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority has acknowledged a petition that called on the entity to address the risk to private wells after Brunswick Landing saw Maine’s worst toxic firefighting foam spill in 30 years, though the agency did not commit to any specific action that was requested.

The petition, signed by 161 residents and Brunswick state Reps. Dan Ankeles and Poppy Arford, called on MRRA to commit to short- and long-term safe drinking water access at no cost to residents, as well as provide funding for certified, monthly PFAS testing.

MRRA’s response, which is dated Dec. 19, noted that it got the petition the week before and that it was too early to say whether private drinking water sources were impacted by the spill or if any well issues stem from legacy contamination at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.

“Please note that the MRRA Board of Trustees remains genuinely concerned about any potential drinking water contamination associated with the August 19 (firefighting foam) release and takes this issue extremely seriously,” reads the letter, signed by MRRA’s Chairperson Herman “Nick” Nichols.

He said MRRA staff have been working closely with the state and federal environmental agencies and the Navy to  “determine the location of any contamination, what levels are present, any potential future pathways of PFAS contamination from the August 19 release, and the best way forward using known scientific methods.”

MRRA, a quasi-state entity that oversees redevelopment of the former military base now known as Brunswick Landing, was leasing the hangar that malfunctioned and spilled foam that the Navy is now on the hook for cleanup and remediation costs. The authority has so far amassed $774,000 in costs and has paid about $500,000 of those bills.

The spill — the exact cause of which is still being investigated — released 1,450 gallons of PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam (known as AFFF) mixed with 50,000 gallons of water into the airport’s Hangar 4 and the nearby environment. The incident prompted remediation and monitoring led by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, including testing nearby residences that use well water.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a chemical family made up of thousands of compounds that can be harmful to human health. The EPA states that exposure can cause ailments such as decreased fertility, developmental delays, cancer and more. The agency also states that exposure to PFAS can happen in many ways, including by drinking contaminated water.

The DEP is using EPA-certified testing methods in its PFAS monitoring process around the former base. Though the agency plans to test private wells near the airport every couple of months for the remainder of the year, any additional EPA-certified PFAS testing residents order could cost hundreds of dollars. In the event of a contamination, water filters for PFAS can cost even more.

Ankeles, a democratic lawmaker who represents the district where the spill occurred, was the first person listed on the petition. He said that he felt it important to express solidarity with the residents who live in proximity to the spill.

“The spirit of the petition is that we want MRRA to prioritize shifting its focus to protecting public health and environmental health,” Ankeles said. “It has completed its economic development mission admirably, and now, especially in the wake of the spill, it is time to redirect resources toward those who have been harmed by either the spill or by legacy pollution.”

The petition was organized by a grassroots group called Brunswick United for a Safe Environment. Though the names are similar, it is not formally associated with the Brunswick Area Citizens for a Safe Environment (BACSE), a representative for the latter organization said. BACSE is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1990 and is partially funded by a Technical Assistance Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

MRRA’s response comes just a week after Maine DEP officials went back to take samples at private homes along Coombs Road and other nearby roads in Brunswick on on Dec. 11 and 12 to test for PFAS.

This round of testing was done months after the first sample batch in September showed varying levels of PFAS in many wells, though the these results are unlikely a result of the spill, given the slow rate of ground water movement.

The DEP’s Deputy Commissioner David Madore said in early December that this month’s testing results should show whether the spill impacted private drinking water supplies. Madore also noted that the Navy, EPA and DEP had identified the possibility for contamination to migrate into this target area.

The DEP’s well test results from September show high levels of some of the PFAS compounds that are stringently regulated by the EPA. For instance, PFOS — a particularly harmful compound within the PFAS family — is limited to 4 parts per trillion (ppt) in public drinking water by the EPA as of spring 2024, though the agency also set an unenforceable health guideline at zero parts per trillion. DEP results show many wells with some level of PFOS detection, including one well sample showing 9.42 ppt.

The DEP currently uses an interim guideline of 20 ppt for PFAS exposure in public drinking water until the Maine Drinking Water Program adopts the new EPA rule.