BRUNSWICK (WGME) — Days after a malfunction at Brunswick Executive Airport caused firefighting foam to leak, officials said the foam contained harmful “forever chemicals” and there were signs it leaked from the immediate accident scene.

On Friday, emergency services were deployed at a retention basin, one of the main focal points since the incident.

“Our plan right now is to stay on site with vacuum trucks as long as foam continues to appear,” said Melanie Loyzim, commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) says it has made “significant progress” in the cleanup effort.

“A lot of our employees drove down to see what was going on,” said Marshall Shepherd, operations manager at Wild Oats Bakery and Café.

The foam never made it to Wild Oats Bakery and Café, but this problem had been troubling them for a long time.

“Even before we moved here, we knew that PFAS was a big problem on the base,” Shepherd said. “In fact, that was one of the reasons we almost didn’t move here.”

The area is already a Superfund site.

For this reason, state and federal partners will now develop a long-term plan based on this incident.

“Unless you directly hit the spot where the foam is currently physically located, there is no additional risk to the soil or the grasses in its foam form,” Loyzim said.

Governor Janet Mills is monitoring the situation.

Her office says the CDC’s drinking water program is in close contact with the Brunswick-Topsham Water District, which is increasing PFAS sampling to twice a month.

“Fortunately, our water comes entirely from the Brunswick-Topsham Water District, so it’s not well water,” Shepherd said. “But of course it’s concerning for everyone else here who relies on wells.”

CBS13 reporter Mal Meyer: “Why aren’t all the wells tested? Is that an option?”

Loyzim: “We do not think it makes sense to test all the wells.”

The commissioner says there are some wells near the base from which samples will be taken to determine if there has been any impact.

“Our calculations suggest it would take many weeks for this flow to occur,” Loyzim said. “So we plan to talk to homeowners about whether they can take samples beforehand.”

The Commissioner says that as the groundwater moves it encounters many features of the land.

This prevents migration into the wells.

If foam is observed outside of the exclusion areas, residents in the area of ​​the accident scene should report it by calling (207) 844-8040. Only AFFF foams can be reported to this number.