Isa Cruz

On August 19, the Brunswick Executive Airport (BXM) fire suppression system released 1,450 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) combined with 50 gallons of water from the facility and into the surrounding area. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) quickly responded to the spill, but Brunswick residents and members of the Bowdoin community continue to be concerned about water contamination throughout the Brunswick area.

AFFF contains polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for its flame retardant properties. Studies have shown that PFAS may be carcinogenic. The presence of foam in BXM can be attributed to the airport’s former use as a naval base—the U.S. Navy required the foam as a flame retardant in the event of fuel fires. In 2007, the Maine state legislature created the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) to facilitate the conversion of the former naval base to civilian use. This conversion involved the disposal of all naval-related equipment from BXM, including large quantities of AFFF still stored in hangars.

The college was immediately notified of the spill on the morning of Aug. 19, according to Environmental Health and Safety Director Charlie Wojtysiak. At that time, the college was told its water supply had not been affected by the spill. Bowdoin officials were present at an Aug. 21 news conference with state and local officials and at an Aug. 29 Brunswick Town information session on the spill, which was open to the community.

Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Matt Orlando sent an email to faculty and staff on Aug. 21, providing information about the leak and footage from that day’s press conference. Then on Aug. 28, Orlando reached out to the campus community with a brief explanation of the situation and a frequently asked questions page that is being updated as new information about the leak emerges.

“The College will continue to analyze data and information collected by Maine DEP as part of its spill response and cleanup efforts and follow all guidance and recommendations,” Wojtysiak wrote in an email to Orient.

Bowdoin Organic Garden has not been affected by any groundwater contamination because irrigation water comes from the same Brunswick and Topsham Water District (BTWD) that provides the campus with drinking water. The solar farm and surrounding area, sometimes used for laboratory work in the Department of Environmental Studies, are located on the opposite side of the BXM property from the spill and above contaminated runoff or surface water.

Concerns about PFAS contamination arose after a widespread controversy over potential PFAS contamination from the Farley Field renovation, which prompted further research by Bowdoin students into the effects of PFAS, particularly in BXM. In spring 2024, Adele Meters ’24 was a member of a research seminar in the Department of Earth and Oceanographic Sciences, Quantitative Approaches to Research in Earth and Oceanographic Science, which assessed the spatial distribution of PFAS contamination in BXM. Additionally, this semester she worked with BTWD and witnessed the spill response firsthand.

“When water is contaminated, especially in underground aquifers where many wells draw their drinking water, it is very difficult to clean up PFAS contamination,” Meters wrote in an email to Orient. “In the case of Farley Fields, local residents were concerned about runoff from the fields into Doan Brook, which flows into Casco Bay. In the case of the recent foam spill, both surface water and underground aquifers could have been contaminated.”

Meters believes that disseminating information in the event of a spill or at sites of concern, such as Farley Field House, is important to increase public understanding of the issue.

“Scientific communication is always a challenge, but I think it’s important to have both clarity and nuance in this situation,” Meters wrote. “So far, I’ve been impressed by the clarity of the message — the spill currently poses no threat to the drinking water supply — and the nuance — PFAS are a problem in general, including at the Naval Air Station, and (BTWD) is mitigating it in many ways — as the city of Brunswick has demonstrated.”

Recently, the Brunswick City Council passed a resolution calling on the MRRA to address the issue of AFFF remaining in BXM by safely removing it to prevent future leaks.

“It made me realize how risky this whole situation is. Another big spill could destroy Brunswick, depending on how it goes,” said Brunswick City Councilman James Ecker.

Ecker was one of the lead authors of a resolution calling for the removal of AFFF materials from Hangar 6, the hangar closest to the water source, by Sept. 30, and from all other hangars as soon as possible. The resolution also calls for an immediate reassessment of PFAS contamination in the BXM area and continued monitoring until levels are lower than they were prior to the Aug. 19 spill. It also requests public access to MRRA reports on the spill and monthly updates on cleanup efforts.

As the city continues to respond to this situation and other environmental issues, City Council members like Abby Westberry, who serves on the Sustainability Committee, are encouraging students to get involved.

“If Bowdoin students are interested in getting involved in the city’s sustainability efforts and transitioning to a more environmentally friendly community, I would recommend that they attend meetings of the Sustainability Committee or the Climate Action Taskforce,” Westberry said. “These are city committees that are actively working to address climate change and plan for a future that protects the city’s environment.”