Town brings legal case over 'forever chemicals'

Residents of a North Yorkshire town are taking legal action against a firefighting foam manufacturer over potential health risks caused by "forever chemicals" found in soils and groundwater.

A report published in The Guardian earlier this year found Bentham, which sits near the Lancashire border, had the highest identified concentration of synthetic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the UK.

It is believed this is due to Angus International Safety Group (Angus Fire), which previously produced firefighting foams containing PFAS at a factory near the town centre.

The firm said it ceased production of any foam products at the site in March but recognised concerns about potential environmental impacts from historic operations.

In an update issued to the community, Angus Fire explained it was informed that its Class B foam used on flammable and combustible liquid fires "may have contained traces of PFOA", a PFAS chemical, in 2016.

PFAS, which are used in several everyday items such as frying pans and waterproofs, are nicknamed "forever chemicals" because they are difficult to break down in the environment.

Many PFAS such as PFOS and PFOA have prompted health and environmental concerns and have been linked to cancer and fertility issues.

Angus Fire said it never knowingly used PFOS in any of its formulations and reformulated its Class B foam products with PFAS chemicals considered "non-hazardous" by global chemical industry regulators at the time.

The firm said production of foam products ceased at the Bentham site this year.

However, community group Cleaner Bentham has this week instructed lawyers at Mishcon de Reya to bring legal action against the company.

The group said it was also in the process of securing funds to carry out blood testing for residents to identify any medical issues caused by PFAS.

Mat Young, chair of Cleaner Bentham, said: “Residents of High Bentham are devastated at how this has affected the town and other communities down the River Wenning.

"We are all worried about the effect this might have on not only our families' health but the health of anyone else affected by the pollution."

Emily Nicholson, partner at Mishcon de Reya, said this would be the first PFAS-related legal case in the UK.

"PFAS cases have made huge waves in the US," she said.

"PFAS contamination is widely known about and is understood to have devastating consequences for both the health of those impacted and for the environment and is extremely difficult to remediate."

Ms Nicholson said Bentham residents deserved to know about the extent of the contamination and to obtain damages "where they have suffered with their health or otherwise".

A spokesperson said Angus Fire was aware lawyers had been instructed but said it had not received notice of any legal action.

The firm said it regretted the "inconvenience and worry" caused, adding: "We have presented a number of options to residents whose properties border the legacy foam manufacturing and testing areas, which we believe could offer a constructive way forward and which also underscores our commitment to addressing the situation responsibly."

Angus Fire said it was working alongside independent environmental consultants and in cooperation with the Environment Agency to fully understand the extent of any PFAS contamination, which would "assist in determining the remediation required".

The Environment Agency said its primary focus was to assess the risk to the environment and provide support to partners on risk to residents.

It said it was currently reviewing the firm's environmental permit in relation to PFAS.

Yorkshire Water confirmed drinking water had not been affected.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.