An aircraft in the process of being recycled at Brunswick Executive Airport. Courtesy of Alexis Rybny

High winds scattered plane insulation around Brunswick Executive Airport earlier this week, sparking worry among some neighbors about potential hazards or contamination.

The insulation was released on March 18 while Stratton Aviation’s recycling partner, Radius Recycling, was taking apart a retired airplane to prepare it for recycling. During the process, wind gusts blew insulation material offsite and into a nearby business parking lot on Pegasus Street. Stratton Aviation said that they immediately began cleaning up the spill and that the original manufacturer confirmed that the material is nonhazardous and nontoxic.

Insulation debris from a nearby aircraft being recycled. Courtesy photo

Brunswick resident Alexis Rybny was driving to pick up her dogs from a nearby day care when she noticed the spill.

Rybny observed two workers picking up the insulation by hand and described the material as large yellow chunks strewn about “literally everywhere.” Though the large chunks are now cleaned up, Rybny said, more should have been done to prevent the incident.

“[The aircraft] should have been in a contained structure,” she said. “It’s pollution at this point.”

Hunter Thayer, COO of Stratton Aviation, said that machinery used by Recycling Radius for demolishing aircraft requires diesel fuel and cannot be safely operated inside a hangar.

Thayer added that the company is in touch with local businesses, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and Maine Department of Environmental Protection. He said that all parties are satisfied with the measures taken to address the issue.

The company said it will continue to help Radius Recycling to make sure all debris are contained. Radius Recycling did not respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday.