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)
The resignation of the leader of the agency that oversees Brunswick Executive Airport, which saw one of the nation’s biggest spills of forever chemical-laden firefighting foam in August, does not cancel out the need for major structural reform, said Brunswick state legislators Rep. Dan Ankeles and Sen. Mattie Daughtry.
The board of trustees for the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority announced Executive Director Kristine Logan’s resignation in a letter Thursday evening. The resignation comes after Ankeles, Daughtry and other local lawmakers called for a change in leadership, among other changes, after the fire suppression system at the airport accidentally discharged more than 1,000 gallons of the toxic foam on Aug. 19.
“This is not a time to celebrate,” Ankeles told Maine Morning Star, “and this absolves lawmakers and other policy makers of absolutely nothing.”
Ankeles and Daughtry, both Democrats, released a joint statement on Friday in which they urged their fellow legislators to ensure that all remaining toxic foam is removed from the airport and to reform the governance structure of the airport.
The Maine Legislature created MRRA in 2007 to transition what had been a former naval base to civilian use. The legislators and public have argued that the agency has focused on economic growth to the detriment of environmental safety and public health, as the site had already had forever chemical contamination from the former naval operations as well as a history of prior foam spills under MRRA’s oversight.
Both Ankeles and Daughtry have already begun the initial steps to introduce legislative reforms. Ankeles’ bills will specifically target removing and better regulating the firefighting foam, while Daughtry’s proposals will focus on the governance of Brunswick Landing.
“But improved governance and reform of the MRRA structure is a longer-term issue that the Legislature can’t realistically take-up until the next legislative session in January,” the legislators wrote.
Therefore, they added, Gov. Janet Mills’ administration and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection should seek immediate financial and technical assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Navy.
The type of foam that spilled out from hangar four at the airport in August is called Aqueous Film Forming Foam, also referred to as AFFF. It is highly effective against high-hazard flammable liquid fires because it contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, which have been linked to serious long-term health problems including cancer, weakened immune systems, developmental issues and more.
In its letter, the MRRA board of trustees commended Logan’s response to the spill as responsible — a sharp contrast to the view of local lawmakers and the public on the matter.
“Her leadership in managing the emergency response and guiding the organization through a complex situation reflects her unwavering commitment to the safety of our community,” the letter read. It went on to explain, “This is not a quick fix. Kristine understood its complexity and multi-jurisdictional challenges and quietly worked in the background to ensure the emergency cleanup response was successful. Over the past month, Kristine has focused on bringing partners together to find solutions to the ongoing challenge of fire suppression in large hangars.”
Logan’s last day will be Oct. 18. The board wrote that it will begin searching for a new director and that it will “keep the public informed throughout the process.”
Ankeles and Daughtry wrote in their joint statement that they’d called for Logan’s resignation as a measure of accountability for what they characterized as a lack of planning and financial management that has endangered both public health as well as the financial viability of Brunswick Landing, the community in and around the airport.
However, they added, “This current situation doesn’t undermine all her previous dedication over the years or our appreciation for her energy and commitment to the landing in the past. This has no doubt been a personally and professionally stressful and difficult time for her too.”
Logan assumed the role of executive director in January 2022, after previously working as director of TechPlace, an organization that supports the small business development located on Brunswick Landing.
Ankeles told Maine Morning Star that he would like to see whoever assumes the role next have a background specifically dealing with PFAS contamination.
“[MRRA] has never truly been laser focused on environmental safety and public health,” Ankles said. “An executive director that would replace director Logan must have that mentality and that experience.”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.