Report system problems found prior to discharge of airport firefighting foam

A fire-suppression system in a hangar at Brunswick Executive Airport showed deficiencies about a year before it discharged gallons of fire-fighting foam containing harmful chemicals in the largest accidental fire-fighting agent spill on record in Maine, according to a recently released report.

It is not known, however, whether those deficiencies, which included some malfunctioning sensors, led to what happened Aug. 19 in Hangar 4. The system released 1,450 gallons (5,490 liters) of firefighting foam concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons (190,000 liters). ) of water at the former naval base.

An investigation is underway to determine why the fire suppression system discharged. The foam, which contains chemicals known as PFAS, has been removed, and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised the public not to eat or limit consumption of freshwater fish from four nearby bodies of water.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is overseeing the redevelopment of the property, recently released a July 2023 fire inspection and testing report. The authority was actively seeking to bring in a technician to address any deficiencies following the report, Kristine Logan, group director . executive director, told The Associated Press in an email Friday. She said that “no one could be scheduled.”

Logan also said the group is also working on finding alternatives to having an active foam system in the hangar.

“We’re not ignoring the problem,” she said.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, are found in everything from food packaging to clothing and are associated with health problems, including several types of cancer. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed limits on chemicals in drinking water for the first time.

Naval Air Station Brunswick officially closed in 2011, and automatic fire suppression is mandatory in large hangars. The hangars once housed P-3 Orion subfighters and other aircraft.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TOPICS
Aviation