AUBURN — A toxic firefighting foam that was accidentally released in Brunswick last week causing an immediate state response is also being stored by the Lewiston Fire Department in much smaller quantities.

While officials with the Auburn Fire Department and the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport said they do not have any toxic firefighting foam on site, Lewiston Fire Chief Marc Caron said Monday the department still is in possession of some leftover inventory.

The aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) contains toxic compounds known as forever chemicals, or PFAS, short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl, that are believed to cause a variety of health issues. Their effect on human health is still largely unknown, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency, studies show a range of linked health issues, from increased risk of some cancers to a more vulnerable immune system.

“This family of chemicals takes a long time to break down in the environment due to the extremely strong bond between fluorine and carbon. Because of this strong bond, which resists breakdown, the use of the entire PFAS family should be viewed with great caution,” a 2020 report from Maine’s PFAS Task Force read.

Last Monday’s spill involved the discharge of more than 1,500 gallons of firefighting foam concentrate at the Brunswick Executive Airport. The cleanup continues, as does testing and monitoring of water and soils affected by the discharge.

In Auburn, “We switched the foam five years ago. We just let it run out,” Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Hunter said. “We never had a whole lot of it. Maybe 10-20 gallons, at most,” Hunter added.

The Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport does not use or store the toxic foam either, airport Director Johnathan LaBonte confirmed.

“We do have a foam fire suppression system in hangar number five, but it is a high-expansion foam, so it is not the type of toxic foam that was spilled in Brunswick this week,” LaBonte said.

In Lewiston, there is still some leftover foam, Fire Chief Marc Caron confirmed Monday. He said the foam supply consists of two types: class A and B.

Class A foam is used more often, and the label states “no known quantities of PFAS,” Caron said.

Class B foam, however, has the PFAS compounds. It is used less frequently, Caron added.

“We don’t have plans to dispose of it. You can’t just throw it away,” Caron said.

The AFFF comes in five-gallon containers, he added. “Ours is stored on the engine, ready to be dispensed.”

As of Monday, the department had not received any communication from Maine Department of Environmental Protection or the Office of State Fire Marshal on any action it should take with the foam, Caron said.

AFFF has been used by firefighters to smother big fires. The foam creates a “film” around the fire upon contact, cutting off oxygen needed to keep it ablaze.

California, New Hampshire, New York and Washington have banned the toxic firefighting foam. Any amount of PFAS in firefighting gear must be reported in these states.

In 2019, Gov. Janet Mills ordered a task force to gather information on the state of PFAS in Maine. As part of this effort, a working group surveyed fire departments across the state for AFFF use and inventory. Out of 305 fire departments, only 61 responded to the voluntary survey.

“The list hasn’t been updated since no funds were allocated for this project,” David Madore, deputy commissioner for the Maine DEP, said in an email Monday.

Since 2017, the Department of Defense has been funding the development of a fluorine-free firefighting foam, commonly known as FFF or F3 foam, as an alternative to the toxic AFFF.

In addition to a lack of laws prohibiting AFFF use, no takeback or replacement programs have been established in Maine.