Latest news with #Ankeles
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brunswick lawmaker introduced bills to address PFAS-laden firefighting foam
The foam spill at Brunswick Landing last August undercut public confidence in the safety of dispersed storage of AFFF stocks. (Photo courtesy of Steve Walker) After a toxic spill last August, Brunswick Town Council member Sande Updegraph said many residents are still riddled with fears. They are afraid to drink their well water, to bathe, to eat vegetables grown in gardens surrounding their homes. But they also fear people will forget about the devastation or that it may happen again in their community or another. Most of all, Updegraph said, they are afraid no one is listening to them or has their backs. 'The efforts to remove these fears start with you people sitting around the table,' Updegraph told the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee during a public hearing Wednesday. The hearing was for three bills from Rep. Dan Ankeles (D-Brunswick) designed to 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. It's an issue close to home for Ankeles, who represents the portion of Brunswick where approximately 1,500 gallons of the toxic firefighting foam was discharged in an airplane hangar last summer. The chemicals ultimately ended up in the groundwater, sewer system and multiple watersheds. Though the foam didn't enter the public water system, it left nearby residents with private wells concerned about contamination. 'Please believe me when I say you would not want high concentrations of this stuff spilling in your community,' Ankeles told the committee. Ankeles submitted the bills to the Legislature just weeks after the spill. Among many cosponsors, Ankeles' counterpart from Brunswick, Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland), has signed on to the bills and is expected to introduce her own legislation regarding oversight of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is in charge of the site where the spill occurred. One bill addresses ongoing concerns in the local community, while the other two seek to tackle the issue statewide. In an effort to protect his community from future spills, Ankeles introduced LD 407 to ban AFFF from all properties owned, leased or managed by MRRA, the quasi-governmental agency that manages the former naval base where the airport sits. Ankeles told the committee, which he also serves on, that he wants to 'ensure that our response to one community's tragedy isn't just a wasteful shrug.' Rather, Ankeles said he would like to see his colleagues rally around the notion that Mainers, as well as their land and water shouldn't be exposed to poison. 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. Updegraph was joined by other Brunswick town council members, as well as members of the firefighting, medical and environmental communities, testifying in support of the bills. The Office of the State Fire Marshal supported LD 400, but spoke in opposition to LD 222 due to questions about agency resources. The concerns were not around the intent of the proposal. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was neither for nor against the legislation, but Commissioner Melanie Loyzim said the department contemplated asking for the money needed for these bills in its biennial budget request but ultimately decided to prioritize other needs. The statewide bills would work in sequence with LD 400 directing the Office of the State Fire Marshal to do a full inventory of AFFF in the state, followed by the establishment of a statewide takeback program for the toxic foam through LD 222. Loyzim told the committee that there is an estimated 50,000 gallons of foam remaining in the state; however, that is based on limited data the department attempted to gather a handful of years ago. Out of the 305 fire departments in the state, Loyzim said only about 60 responses along with fewer than 10 industry partners such as oil terminals or paper mills responded to the survey the state attempted in 2019. A multi-part investigation published by Maine Morning Star detailed previous efforts by the state to collect this data. The statewide inventory would start collecting information in July 2026 on any public entity with five gallons or more of AFFF concentrate. There would also be efforts to gather information from private entities to get a complete picture of how much exists in the state. That proposal includes the addition of one, limited-time position in the fire marshal's office at the cost of $86,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Though the department didn't get a high response rate when it tried to collect similar data a few years back, State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler said he expects nine out of 10 fire departments will participate. He also told the committee he would call any departments who don't participate to gather data on their inventory. The statewide takeback program is not proposed to come online until July 2027, with the hopes that the inventory would be mostly complete by then. Using the estimate of 50,000 gallons of foam, Loyzim said the department estimates it would cost $5 million to run the takeback program. The department would be allowed to contract with a third party to administer the program that public and private sector entities would have the choice to participate in. A program like this could be useful for towns like South Portland, where Fire Chief Phil Selberg said the department has spent over $70,000 on new fire suppression foam to replace its AFFF stock, but has had to delay the delivery of the new foam because they have struggled with how to safely and responsibly dispose of the toxic foam. It could also be helpful to departments in smaller, more rural parts of the state that often rely on volunteers and small budgets. Michael Scott, president of the Professional Firefighters of Maine, spoke in support of all three bills saying they could aid the organization's efforts to enhance the health and safety of firefighters. Though funding for these proposals wasn't included in the department's budget request, Ankeles said he wrote the bills to utilize money from the general fund. Committee members asked him if he considered funding from the state's existing PFAS remediation fund or any settlement that may come from the Maine Attorney General suing AFFF manufacturers. He expects there to be settlement money from that lawsuit, but Ankeles said he would like to see that money shared with constituents who have had to pay for their own drinking water or testing. As for the remediation fund, Ankeles pointed out that money was designed to support farms that are coping with decades of contamination. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
