Rising PFAS contamination sites in England strain Environment Agency budget

More than 10,000 potential PFAS contamination sites identified

A growing number of sites in England have been identified as potentially contaminated with banned per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a report from the Environment Agency (EA), as reported by The Guardian.

PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their inability to break down in the environment, have been linked to various diseases, including cancers.

Among the newly identified “problem sites” are a former RAF airfield in Cambridgeshire, a fire service college in the Cotswolds, a chemicals plant in Lancashire, and a fire protection equipment supplier in North Yorkshire.

Despite the growing number of potential sites, the EA has only launched investigations at four locations.

PFAS contamination at fire service college and RAF bases

The Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, and the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, both formerly RAF bases, are under investigation for potential PFAS contamination.

The use of firefighting foams containing PFAS at these locations could be the source of contamination.

A spokesperson for the Imperial War Museum said: “We are tested and checked by Cambridge environmental health services and our firefighting team no longer trains with foam as we are aware of the sensitivity of the aquifer that sits below IWM Duxford.”

Elevated PFAS levels in the area are being monitored by the EA in collaboration with local authorities.

Chemical plants and fire equipment suppliers under scrutiny

The EA is also investigating PFAS contamination at AGC Chemicals in Lancashire and Angus Fire, a fire protection equipment supplier in North Yorkshire.

Both sites have reported high levels of PFAS in their surroundings.

Angus Fire has confirmed that it no longer manufactures or tests any PFAS-containing foam products at its Bentham facility.

In contrast, AGC Chemicals has stated that any PFAS found at its site could be linked to historical usage.

The company no longer uses or produces PFOA, a banned form of PFAS, at its Lancashire facility.

EA highlights budget challenges in tackling PFAS pollution

In correspondence between the EA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the agency expressed concerns over its limited budget to address the rising number of PFAS-contaminated sites.

The estimated cost to investigate the four current sites ranges between £1.8 million and £2.7 million, which far exceeds the agency’s available budget of £300,000, supplemented by £200,000 from a chemicals funding stream.

Dr Shubhi Sharma from the charity Chem Trust said: “It is quite right that the Environment Agency is flagging their lack of resources and the huge costs of monitoring for PFAS across what could be thousands of PFAS-contaminated sites across England.”

Rising PFAS contamination sites in England strain Environment Agency budget: Summary

A report from the Environment Agency, as covered by The Guardian, has revealed that over 10,000 locations in England could be contaminated with PFAS, chemicals linked to serious health risks.

The EA is currently investigating four sites, but budget limitations may hamper further inspections.

PFAS were widely used in firefighting foams, contributing to contamination at former RAF bases, fire service colleges, and chemical plants.

Both AGC Chemicals and Angus Fire are under scrutiny for potential contamination.

The EA has expressed concerns about the rising costs of addressing these issues, highlighting the need for more funding to manage and mitigate PFAS pollution effectively.