PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 12, 2024
A fire suppression system at Brunswick Executive Airport was flagged as “deficient” 14 months before it malfunctioned and discharged more than 51,000 gallons of toxic chemical foam that state-funded clean-up crews have yet to fully contain. The last test of the system intended to douse aviation fires revealed deficiencies in June 2023, but the airport owner, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, couldn’t find a fire sprinkler company willing to fix them. Even trace amounts of some PFAS are considered a public health risk. Firefighting foam is the most common source of forever chemical contamination in the U.S.