Health groups accuse state of downplaying nation's largest spill of toxic chemicals: 'Increases the distrust that people have when it comes to government'

By Jenna Reilly | Yahoo!News | October 19, 2024

Read the full article by Jenna Reilly (Yahoo!News)

"One of the United States' largest accidental spills of PFAS "forever chemicals" occurred this past summer at a former U.S. Navy base in Maine. Now, health advocates have accused state officials of trying to cover up the dangers of this incident, the Guardian reported.

What's happening?

At Brunswick Naval Air Station near the coast of Maine, a fire suppression system malfunctioned, spilling about 51,000 gallons of PFAS-containing foam into surface water and causing massive levels of contamination.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals used in consumer products and firefighting foam. They're commonly referred to as "forever chemicals" because they do not degrade naturally in the environment."