PFAS bills introduced in Brunswick spill aftermath receive sweeping support, await funding
Approximately 1,600 gallons of foam containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, was accidentally discharged at Brunswick Executive Airport's hangar 4 on Aug. 19, 2024. (AnnMarie Hilton/ Maine Morning Star)
Though there are still funding details to sort out, a slate of proposals brought forward after 1,500 gallons of toxic firefighting foam concentrate spilled in Brunswick last August have been backed by the Maine Legislature.
'Since August 19, 2024, hardly a day has gone by where our delegation hasn't put work into an entire suite of legislation both to help Brunswick recover and, even more importantly, to make sure that what happened to us cannot happen anywhere else,' said Rep. Dan Ankeles (D-Brunswick) on the House of Representatives floor earlier this month.
On Wednesday, the Senate passed the last of a package of three bills that Ankeles crafted in the aftermath of the spill to help rid Maine of Aqueous Film Forming Foam, also known as AFFF, which was historically used for firefighting and has been linked to harmful effects to humans and the environment.
Accidents not waiting to happen
The final proposal to receive initial passage votes would establish a voluntary, statewide takeback program for the foam. The Senate approved LD 222 30-0, and it will now go back to each chamber for final enactment votes.
AFFF contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, which has been linked to serious long-term health problems including cancer. Knowing these concerns, the state restricted use of the foam in 2021, but it is still stored at airports, fire stations and other industrial sites throughout the state.
Ankeles' bills received sweeping bipartisan support from the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee, as well as the chambers at large. However, two of the bills have been sent to the budget committee to determine whether they will be funded.
Another bill in the package, LD 407, directs the quasi-governmental agency that manages the airport where the spill happened, called the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, to stop using and get rid of the toxic firefighting foam that is still at the site. Since the bill doesn't tap into state funds, Ankeles said he's working with the agency to secure the funding it will need to get rid of the chemicals.
'Getting this resolve to the chief executive's desk will help my constituents — and Rep. [Cheryl] Golek's constituents just a couple of streets over — rest a tiny bit easier knowing that the toxic AFFF will never again be deployed in our community,' Ankeles said last week before the bill received a 128-14 vote in the House.
LD 407 received final enactment votes this week and will be sent to Gov. Janet Mills for her approval.
Ankeles' two bills awaiting funding are meant to not only protect Brunswick but all Maine communities from future toxic spills.
Those two proposals are LD 400, which will create a publicly available inventory of the firefighting foam in the state, and LD 222. These will not only help the state know how much of the toxic foam still exists, but also assist fire departments that don't have the budgets to properly dispose of it.
After approval from both chambers, LD 400 was placed on the special appropriations table in late April with a fiscal note of about $86,000 annually for the next two years. That money would be used to cover the cost of a new position to compile the inventory.
While it is now up to the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, Ankeles said he is hopeful it will get funded after he worked with the Department of Environmental Protection to find a way to fund the proposal without using the state's general fund.
With a $5 million fiscal note, LD 222 will likely also end up on the appropriations table. It will first go back to the House for a final enactment vote and then return to the Senate.
Since the bill asks for one-time funding rather than ongoing support, Ankeles hopes that will put it in a better position to be funded in a tight budget-cycle. However, he said he is also going to advocate for the Environment and Natural Resources Committee to rank LD 222 as the committee's top priority to receive funding from the budget committee.
Of all the bills the committee worked on this session that will cost money, Ankeles said this takeback program could have the 'biggest impact.'
'It will create the infrastructure with a single spending action that is not ongoing and the state will be able to get rid of every drop of this terrible poison,' he said.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Louisiana Legislature targets out-of-state doctors who provide abortion pills
Packages of Mifepristone tablets are displayed at a family planning clinic on April 13, 2023 in Rockville, Maryland. (Photo illustration by) The Louisiana Legislature has approved a bill targeting out-of-state abortion-inducing drug providers, giving more time to individuals who want to sue someone who performed, attempted to perform or substantially facilitated an abortion. The legislation is part of an effort from anti-abortion advocates to crack down on doctors who ship abortion-inducing medication to states where the procedure is illegal. In nearly all instances, abortion has been illegal in Louisiana since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. House Bill 575 by Rep. Lauren Ventrella, R-Greenwell Springs, easily passed both chambers. She dubbed her proposal the 'Justice for Victims of Abortion Drug Dealers Act,' though it would apply to all forms of the procedure. It extends the window for abortion lawsuits from three years to five years and allows out-of-state doctors and activists to be sued. The bill will become law unless vetoed by Gov. Jeff Landry, which is unlikely. Ventrella's bill has the support of Attorney General Liz Murrill, who is currently prosecuting a case against a New York doctor accused of providing abortion-inducing medication to the mother of a pregnant minor in West Baton Rouge Parish. Gov. Kathy Hoschul has refused to extradite the doctor to Louisiana to face charges, citing New York's shield laws. The doctor and the minor's mother were both indicted. Murrill has alleged the minor was coerced to take the medication, though her mother was not charged with this crime. Ventrella's legislation was substantially whittled down throughout the legislative process. In its original state, it would have allowed the 'mother of the unborn child,' her parents, the man who impregnated her and his parents as potential plaintiffs. The man would have been unable to sue if the pregnancy was the result of rape, sexual assault or incest. The measure also would have allowed the plaintiffs to sue anybody who facilitated the abortion, with this term originally being undefined. It also would have allowed drug manufacturers to be sued. The legislation received bipartisan pushback, with multiple lawmakers raising privacy concerns. Last year, Louisiana lawmakers classified mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances. Both are used in medication abortions but also have other uses, including to stop life-threatening postpartum hemorrhages. Medical professionals opposed the move, warning the designation could make the drugs more difficult to access in time-sensitive medical crises. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fewer than 1 in 4 Colorado voters support Medicaid cuts
(Stock photo by) Just 21% of Colorado voters want Congress to decrease Medicaid spending, according to a poll released Tuesday. Concerns about gutted health care access come as U.S. Senate Republican leaders work to push through a tax and spending bill that would cut Medicaid by an estimated $625 billion over the next decade. The poll zeroed in on the 8th Congressional District, which includes the northern Denver metro area and parts of Weld County. In the district, where 1 in 4 residents receive Medicaid benefits, 63% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who voted to cut Medicaid. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The 8th District is represented by Republican Gabe Evans, who voted in favor of the plan that would reduce federal Medicaid spending when it was brought to the U.S. House of Representatives in May. A spokesperson for Evans defended the vote, saying a proposed provision to institute part-time work requirements for some people to retain Medicaid eligibility would make 'the program more efficient by cutting out fraud, waste, and abuse.' 'Congressman Gabe Evans has been steadfast in his support of protecting Medicaid for the vulnerable populations it was created to serve — pregnant women, kids, and disabled people,' said spokesperson Delanie Bomar in a statement Tuesday. Evans, who was elected to the House last year, represents one of the country's few congressional swing districts. According to the poll, 42% of voters in the district want to see increased federal Medicaid spending, 20% want it to stay about the same and 28% want it to decrease. Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for lower-income people and some with disabilities, serves more than 70 million U.S. residents. The poll of 675 registered Colorado voters was conducted by Broomfield-based firm Magellan Strategies on behalf of the nonprofit Healthier Colorado. It has a margin of error of 3.7%. 'Politicians are saying that they want to cut Medicaid to make it better, but the poll shows clearly that voters aren't buying what they're selling,' said Jake Williams, CEO of Healthier Colorado. 'It shows that there's real political peril for any candidate who votes to cut Medicaid.' Bomar pointed to the poll's findings that many respondents, especially those who are Republicans or unaffiliated, said Medicaid 'should only be for U.S. citizens or legal residents, with some calling for stricter eligibility enforcement.' Immigrants who are in the U.S. unlawfully are not eligible for federal Medicaid benefits, but Colorado and 13 other states provide some state-funded coverage to immigrants lacking permanent legal status. Under the proposed federal cuts, an estimated 7.8 million people, most of them citizens or lawful residents, would lose access to Medicaid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Some of the main reasons cited in the poll by respondents who said they have favorable opinions of Medicaid are the benefits it provides to low-income Coloradans, seniors, children, people with disabilities and single parents. 'The poll shows that Medicaid cuts would have devastating effects for both our health and economy here in Colorado,' Williams said. 'I also think it shows that Colorado voters aren't dummies.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chicago-based American Medical Association to ask Senate to investigate RFK Jr.'s firing of vaccine committee members
The Chicago-based American Medical Association plans to ask a U.S. Senate committee to investigate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to overhaul a key vaccine advisory group, the medical association said in an emergency resolution passed Tuesday. The House of Delegates of the AMA, which is the nation's premier doctors group, adopted the emergency resolution at its annual meeting in Chicago. The adoption came just one day after Kennedy, who is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, announced that he had removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. That advisory committee is tasked with making recommendations on the use of vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which then sets U.S. adult and childhood immunization schedules. Kennedy said he planned to replace the 17 members with new members. 'Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda,' Kennedy said in a news release Monday. 'The public must know that unbiased science — evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest — guides the recommendations of our health agencies.' It's a move, however, that has met with sharp criticism, including from the American Medical Association. Kennedy has long been a vaccine skeptic, putting him at odds with doctors and scientists who tout vaccines as lifesaving. The AMA's emergency resolution also says that it will send an open letter to Kennedy asking him to reverse his recent changes to the committee. And the association will 'identify and evaluate alternative evidence-based vaccine advisory structures,' according to the resolution. On Monday, outgoing American Medical Association President Dr. Bruce Scott said in a statement that the advisory committee has long been a trusted source of science and data-driven guidance on vaccines. 'Today's action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives,' Scott said. 'With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses.'
