Brunswick foam spill contaminated nearby fish, DEP confirms [Video]

Shellfish living in streams near the Brunswick Executive Airport were contaminated by the August firefighting foam spill, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Tests conducted weeks after a hangar malfunctioned and released thousands of gallons of toxic foam into the nearby environment show elevated levels of PFOS – a type of chemical within the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance family, which are also known PFAS or “forever chemicals.”

“In summary, the release of firefighting foam greatly increased the concentration of PFOS in fish from the affected parts of Merriconeag Stream and Mare Brook,” the agency said in a press release. “But as there was already a do-not-eat advisory in place, there is no change for fish consumption advice given these latest data.”

PFOS is a compound known to be harmful to human health, and is found in high levels in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Brunswick airport’s Hangar 4, which …