More carcinogenic PFAS foam on the waterfront in St. Mary’s City, Maryland
By Pat Elder
December 3, 2024
This photo of the Maryland Dove was taken today, December 3, 2024.
The photo was taken at 9:15 am, 42 minutes after low tide.
Waves were less than a half foot.
The camera faces SW.
Wind was out of the NW at 7 mph.
Barometer was at 30.38 inHg.
Temperature was 38 deg. F.
This photo of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland waterfront was taken on December 18, 2023.
The photo was taken at 2:22 pm, 2 hours and 21 minutes after low tide.
The camera faces NW.
Wind was out of the NW at 18 mph
There was no wave action.
Barometer was 29.17 inHG.
Temperature was 56 degrees F
The Red X is the source of the contamination – Webster Field Annex of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
The Blue X is Rosecroft Point which is situated about 1,800 feet NNW of the routine use of firefighting foams that contained PFAS. No foam appeared at this location on either December 3, 2024 or December 10, 2023 and that is likely because the winds were coming out of the NW so the beach was likely shielded from the toxins already present in the water to the north. This location often experiences accumulating foam when the winds come out of the south.
The Green X is the site of the Maryland Dove.
The Orange X is the site of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland waterfront.
There are no known military or industrial sites north of the college along the St. Mary’s River. St. Mary’s College has denied there is a problem with PFAS in the water. The Navy denies their chemicals have escaped the base.
In April 2021 the Navy reported that groundwater at Webster Field contained a total of 92,378 parts per trillion of total PFAS. The groundwater contaminates the surface water on the sandy spit of land.
I have been observing these foams on the St. Mary’s River for four years. The wind appears to be the most compelling factor. PFAS molecules act as surfactants, meaning they reduce the surface tension of water, allowing air to mix in and create foam, especially when agitated by wind, waves, or currents. It’s the same principle at play when washing the car with detergent and water. If you squirt detergent into a bucket of water it does not make bubbles, but if you pour detergent into an empty bucket and add high-pressure water, it’ll create foamy suds.
Webster Field used 3M’s aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for many years. The Navy won’t say how long they used it, or how much they used.
They’d dig a crater, pour in jet fuel, ignite it, and then extinguish it with the foams. Most of the people who live around here don’t realize their blood is contaminated with the very same compounds found in the AFFF.
The photo below shows foam on the beach and can be seen along Rt 5. The kids at the college ought to be told to stay away from it.
