Bruce Kantner is a Brunswick resident, retired teacher of environmental science/sustainability, and former New Hampshire selectman, Conservation Commission member, organic farmer and community advocate.

The dangerous, irresponsible lack of oversight by the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) that led to the Aug. 19, 2024 release of firefighting foam continues to cast its dark shadow over health, safety and new development at Brunswick Landing.

This situation directly contradicts the “opinion” piece of Nov. 30 by Steve Levesque (“Setting the record straight on Brunswick foam spill“) that denies the facts of MRRA’s obvious negligence that led to the spill. Fortunately, the editors inserted a link in Levesque’s op-ed to its Aug. 25, 2024 editorial that accurately describes the multiple failures of MRRA relating to the spill. 

The Brunswick Area Citizens for a Safe Environment (BACSE) group was established in 1990 to represent the local community in the long, continuing remediation and redevelopment of the former Naval Air Station at its Superfund (CERCLA) site. BACSE sent an urgent letter of concern regarding the permitting of construction at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station on Nov. 19, 2025, to the Brunswick Town Council, town manager and our four legislators.

The first paragraph opens as follows:

“…we write to you with great concern regarding the chronic lack of oversight for all projects being constructed at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station (now “Brunswick Landing”). Of particular concern is the lack of any planning in the permitting process to consider the substantial PFAS contamination which exists in the groundwater and related soils throughout Brunswick Landing.”

The letter highlights that 1) environmental studies conducted for the base closure and reuse were done before PFAS was a CERCLA regulated substance and have not been adequately updated; 2) new development such as Molnlycke and STARC are being built over sites potentially contaminated with PFAS in the groundwater and feeding into aging, leaking wastewater/stormwater systems; 3) public transparency, access to planning documents and accountability by state and federal agencies has been woefully lacking. Brunswick residents have little direct representation within the town regarding Landing issues. MRRA, the state and the Navy are continually passing the buck.

BACSE has proposed three steps to address these problems:

• Create “a designated contact person (perhaps a “Brunswick Landing ombudsman”) who would maintain a comprehensive contact list of all involved parties and respond to resident inquiries by following up directly with answers….”

• Set up “a central repository on the town website where all pertinent information for each Brunswick Landing construction project is maintained … so that the information is publicly accessible online and not housed separately and out of reach of public review.”

•  “We warmly invite town staff and elected officials to connect with BACSE members, who are always ready to offer their technical assistance having decades of experience with these Superfund sites.” MRRA, the state (DEP), the Navy, Landing residents and workers and citizens would be included in such public forums on a periodic schedule.

The Town Council has a mandate from BACSE to take these steps for the well-being of our whole community. Poison chemicals in the groundwater and aquifers travel far and sometimes show up as illness years after they’ve begun their insidious damage.

All construction on the Landing should be paused until current hydrogeological mapping has revealed the extent of PFAS and other poisons. Many citizens are asking Brunswick planners, as well as the state, the Navy and MRRA, to comply with BACSE’s recommendations and the full, updated CERCLA permitting process now.