According to the CDC in the state of Maine, no fish from four freshwater bodies in Brunswick can be consumed

City Councilman James Ecker said he observed foam forming at Picnic Pond near Brunswick Landing Tuesday morning. Courtesy of James Ecker

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is warning people against eating freshwater fish from four bodies of water in Brunswick after tests last October revealed elevated levels of dangerous chemicals.

Elevated levels of PFAS have been found in fish tissue from Mere Brook (also known as Mare Brook), Merriconeag Stream, Picnic Pond and Site 8 Stream.

The warning came after 1,450 gallons of firefighting foam concentrate were released at Brunswick Executive Airport early Monday morning when a fire suppression system failed. The foam had been blown by wind near Brunswick Landing and spread into drains, manhole covers and nearby ponds.

The toxic foam, called aqueous film forming foam, contains dangerous “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, used in many common household and industrial products. Even trace amounts of some of these man-made chemicals are considered a public health risk by federal regulators and may be linked to several cancers and immune problems.

The waters likely affected by the chemical spill are on the east side of the runway, the Maine CDC reported. Although testing on the fish was conducted in October, “the spill is not expected to impact the guidelines released today,” the CDC said Friday.

In Mere Brook, from the east side of the runway to Liberty Crossing, the Maine CDC recommends not eating fish of any kind. From Coffin Ice Pond to the western edge of the runway, the Maine CDC recommends eating no more than six meals of fish of any kind per year.

The Maine CDC recommends not eating fish in the entire Merriconeag Stream, Picnic Pond, and Site 8 Stream.

The U.S. Navy conducted the fish tests in October 2023 as part of its ongoing investigation into environmental contamination from the historic use of firefighting foam at B. The Maine CDC received the data in spring 2024, reviewed it and issued the warnings on Friday.

The public should avoid any contact with the foam and refrain from swimming, boating and wading in these waters “until the potential impacts of the release (of the aqueous film-forming foam) to these waters are fully assessed,” the Maine CDC reported.

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