Um, all this concern about humans eating wild animals contaminated with #PFAS? How about concern that WILD ANIMALS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH PFAS!

'Do not eat' advisory issued for wildlife harvested in parts of #Kennebec, #Waldo counties

by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, October 25th 2024 at 6:47 AM

"The #Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife tested wildlife throughout the #Unity, #UnityTownship, #Thorndike, and #Albion area." [Lots of working farms in that area too!]

https://wgme.com/news/local/do-not-eat-advisory-issued-for-wildlife-harvested-in-parts-of-kennebec-waldo-counties-unity-unity-township-thorndike-albion-deer-wild-turkeys-maine-department-of-inland-fisheries-and-wildlife-pfas-forever-chemicals

Midcoast [#Maine] Regional Redevelopment Authority executive director steps down after [toxic firefighting] foam spill

Story by WGME Staff
October 10, 2024

BRUNSWICK (WGME) -- "The executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority is stepping down.

"The #MRRA Board of Trustees says #KristineLogan has resigned.

"Last month, a group of Brunswick leaders and legislators called for Logan's resignation after hundreds of gallons of toxic #firefighting foam spilled in August, more than a year after a report warned that the system was 'deficient.'

"The #BrunswickMaine leaders say they want the group to have increased oversight and accountability."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/midcoast-regional-redevelopment-authority-executive-director-steps-down-after-foam-spill/ar-AA1s3vAj

#WaterIsLife #PFAS #AndroscogginRiver #PFASContamination #AFFF #PFOS #PicnicPond #Site8Stream #MereBrook #MerriconeagStream
#CascoBay #HarpswellCove
#Wildlife #OceansAreLife
#PFASPollution #BrunswickNavalAirStation #BrunswickStation #Maine

'It's killing us': Public reacts to proposed expansion of #JuniperRidgeLandfill

Story by Katie Delaney
7/16/2024

"'#JuniperRidge has destroyed the life of people who live around it. At times, it has destroyed part of the #PenobscotRiver; it has destroyed part of our air, water, and land,' Don White, a Bucksport resident, said.

"Public commenters expressed concerns about harmful #emissions, #landfill fires, and #PFAS contamination coming from the facility.

"Many of the people speaking out said Juniper Ridge is an example of #EnvironmentalInjustice, particularly for the #PenobscotNation.

"'It's killing us,' #KathyPaul, a Penobscot Nation Elder, said. 'I just feel like I'm sitting here waiting to die, and I don't mean to be an extremist or anything like that, but I'm really afraid. I can smell the difference already.'"

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/tech/science/environment/juniper-ridge-landfill-public-comment-expansion-proposal-maine-waste-environment/97-22670996-85e5-4533-83aa-0ecb08809eda

#WaterIsLife #JuniperRidgeLandfill #CasellaWasteSystems #MaineNews #Maine #ToxicFire #PFASPollution
#WabanakiAlliance
#DontWasteME #Slingshot #EnvironmentalJustice

#PortlandMaine fire department announced they were going to switch to #F3 soon!

#Maine officials look for safer alternatives to #toxic #firefighting foam

by Mal Meyer, WGME
Mon, August 26th 2024

"That's why the [Portland] fire department is turning over to something new soon, called 'F3,' that won't have #PFAS.

"'Over the last 8-10 months, the Department of Defense has approved a couple of different products,' Cenate said.

"The lack of options and cost has been part of the problem.

"'There are certainly challenges for the industry and nationwide moving forward,' Bradbury said.

"The South Portland Fire Department was quoted roughly $138,000 to replace the 3,000 gallons of #AFFF it has, not including the price of disposal.

"'It’s nice that we'll be on the forefront with our transition in October,' Bradbury said.

"It's tough to say how much of AFFF is around Maine.

"A state taskforce in 2019 tried to figure that out but got limited responses and that hasn't been updated since because there's been no funding for it.

"The group estimated there could be up to 48,000 gallons in Maine fire departments alone.

"'There has been discussion about whether or not to do a collection and destruction program,' Maine DEP Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said. 'Some other states have been doing that over the last several years.'

"In Brunswick, the Navy had been planning to remove AFFF in mid-September, as leaders looked for something more environmentally friendly."

Read more:
https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-officials-look-for-safer-alternatives-to-toxic-firefighting-foam-brunswick-executive-airport-pfas-forever-chemicals-afff-f3

FFS! Municipalities need to change over to #F3 ASAP!

#Toxic firefighting foam spills into #wetlands after truck fire in #SouthPortlandMaine

by Ariana St Pierre, WGME
Fri, August 30th 2024

"Crews used 47 gallons of #AFFF #firefighting foam to put out the truck's diesel fuel that was burning. That foam contains PFAS or '#ForeverChemicals.'

"Despite their efforts to contain it, firefighters say 70 gallons of foam and diesel fuel spilled into the gravel wetland along Philbrook Avenue and #LongCreek.

[...]

"This comes about 10 days after over 1,400 gallons of firefighting foam containing PFAS spilled at the Brunswick Executive Airport and leaked into a nearby pond [which eventually drains into #HarpswellCove and #CascoBay]."

https://wgme.com/news/local/toxic-firefighting-foam-spills-into-wetlands-after-truck-fire-in-south-portland-maine-firefighters-afff-pfas-forever-chemicals-long-creek-philbrook-avenue

#PFASContamination
#PFOS #CascoBay #Wildlife #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #FirefightingFoam #LongCreekWatershed

TONIGHT! (Thursday, August 29th)

Fighting the foam in #BrunswickMaine: Public forum being held to discuss the spill

Story by Aysia Reed, WGME

"It's been 10 days since toxic firefighting foam spilled in Brunswick. The public will now get to have their say on the release and the cleanup efforts so far.

"The town of Brunswick is holding a public forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Council Chamber at Brunswick Town Hall to discuss the spill of more than 1,000 gallons of firefighting foam.

"The Brunswick Executive Airport had the foam stored away in hangar 4 in case they needed it to fight a fire. Last week, a faulty signal to the system caused a malfunction to release the foam, causing it to spill.

"The foam contains PFAS, which is a forever chemical. It leaked into a nearby pond, and the drainage system around the hangar.

"Crews are collecting samples around an outflow pipe that goes from the Brunswick Sewer District into the #AndroscogginRiver.

"Last week, officials said they collected about 6,000 gallons of foam and foam mixed with water."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fighting-the-foam-in-brunswick-public-forum-being-held-to-discuss-the-spill/ar-AA1pDH5C

#MaineCDC Issues Advisories on Eating #FreshwaterFish Due to #PFASContamination at the Former #NavalAirStation in #BrunswickMaine

Aug 23, 2024

AUGUSTA -- "The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) today issued new freshwater fish consumption advisories recommending either no consumption or limited consumption of fish from four waterbodies located on and around the former naval air station in Brunswick, Maine.

"The testing of fish is part of the United States Navy's ongoing remedial investigation at the former base in response to #environmental contamination from the historic use of PFAS-containing aqueous film forming foam (#AFFF) in fire-fighting operations. Data were collected in October 2023 by the Navy, in coordination with Maine's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and shared with the Maine CDC in spring of 2024.

"The Maine CDC reviewed the data and determined they showed elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, above the agency's recommended levels for regular consumption.

"While testing occurred before the August 19, 2024 accidental release of AFFF at the former naval air station, that incident is not expected to impact the guidance issued today. The waters likely impacted by the AFFF spill are on the east side of the runway at the air station. Today's advisory recommends a no consumption advisory for those waters based on prior testing data.

"Elevated levels of the specific PFAS called perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were detected in fish tissue samples collected from #MereBrook (also known as Mare Brook), #MerriconeagStream, #PicnicPond, and #Site8Stream. The new fish consumption advisories listed below apply to all fish caught in these waterbodies.

"In response to the recent release of AFFF and the reported presence of visible #foam on some of these #waterbodies on the eastern side of the runway, the Maine CDC additionally recommends the public avoid any contact with foam on these water bodies. Out of an abundance of caution, the Maine CDC also recommends the public refrain from any recreational activities (e.g., #swimming, #boating, #wading) that could result in contact with the foam or waters until the potential impact of the AFFF release on these waterbodies is fully assessed.

"PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals found in a variety of consumer products throughout the world. Based on a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, exposure to certain PFAS chemicals has been associated with increases in cholesterol levels, decreases in birth weight, lower antibody response to some vaccines, and kidney cancer."

From the CDC website: Map of waterbodies included in the fish consumption advisory on and around the former Naval Air Station in Brunswick.

https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/news/maine-cdc-issues-advisories-eating-freshwater-fish-due-pfas-contamination-former-naval-air-station-fri-08232024-1200
#AndroscogginRiver #CascoBay #HarpswellCove #Wildlife #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution #PFOS #FirefightingFoam

This is #PicnicPond in #BrunswickMaine. It is closed to the public because of #PFAS contamination, but there is plenty of #Wildlife in the area, and the pond empties into #HarpswellCove / #CascoBay.

Image source and more info about Picnic Pond:
https://maineanencyclopedia.com/brunswick-landing/