Blood tests could be given as part of legal campaign over PFAS contamination sites

Worried residents living close to an area of Thornton polluted by ‘forever chemicals’ raised fears about health and property prices during a busy public meeting.

And they were told blood tests could be available to those living nearest to areas deemed to be ‘contaminated’ by chemicals known as PFAS, which are used in many household products but have been linked to cancer.

More than 60 residents have sought help from legal experts over fears the land their homes stand on, close to the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone, are contaminated.

The meeting, at Thornton Clevelelys FC on Gamble Road, was led by a panel of  experts, including Dr Tony Fletcher and Dr David Megson, scientists with extensive experience and expertise on PFAS, and Leigh Day partner Sarah Moore, who leads the law firm’s investigations into PFAS pollution. 

Some residents who have been affected by cancer raised concerns that there might be a link to the pollution by the chemicals; others feared for their chidren’s health, while others feared the value of their homes would plummet because of the issue.

The Hillhouse Enterprise Zone site in question is currently run by AGC Chemicals and was previously occupied by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) until 1992.

Testing carried out by Wyre Council and the Environment Agency found one of the chemicals,  PFOA in “a majority of properties tested”, with Wyre council saying seven properties had been categorised as “high risk”.

AGC Chemicals has said that while PFOA had been used at the Hillhouse site since the 1950s, the chemical was phased out from manufacturing processes by 2012.

What legal experts say

Leigh Day partner Sarah Moore said after the meeting:”Our independent experts were able to help answer these questions, but a lot of information about the testing undertaken by the Environment Agency and Wyre Council has not yet been published. 

“This means that there is a significant information gap regarding the extent of the contamination and what the Council, in the first instance is intending to do about it. 

“In terms of health, our independent experts have advised that other communities impacted by PFAS pollution have access to blood tests so that the extent of their exposure can be evaluated, and if appropriate further health interventions and monitoring can be provided. 

“Leigh Day has written to the Council to ask whether there is any plan to make blood testing available to the community in Thornton and they had responded that this is not something that they are intending to do. 

“The Leigh Day team are working with our independent experts to consider whether we may be able to provide access to blood testing for a small number of residents”

She added:” We are at an early stage of our investigation, and we are keen to move forward with the support of the community. The meeting made it clear that there is a lot of anger and anxiety locally and a feeling that the local authority has let people down.

“We are hoping that we can continue to work with the community to provide advice and to potentially build a community wide legal action.” 
Wyre Council response 

Wyre Council has made it clear it has no legal remit for, nor expertise in, health matters and that these issues need to be addressed by UK Health Security Agency and Lancashire County Council, which provides public health services across the county. 

A spokesperson for Wyre Council said: “We are working closely with the Environment Agency to ensure that information and results are published as soon as they become available at each and every stage of the investigation.

“Investigations of this nature are highly complex and must follow a legal process Body*set out in legislation, which can take time. However, it is essential that results and their interpretation are robust and unchallengeable, so residents can be confident that the information provided and the conclusions drawn are reliable.

“We are committed to keeping residents informed as the investigation progresses. We provide regular updates through letters, media releases, dedicated webpages, a newsletter and community drop-in sessions, which give residents the opportunity to speak directly with scientists and other experts involved in the investigation.

“We have already shared the results of the Phase 3 sampling programme and are now awaiting its formal interpretation. As soon as this is received, it will be made available to the community as with previous reports.

“This is a multi-agency investigation involving a range of organisations. Wyre Council has no legal remit for, nor expertise in, health matters. Information relating to biomonitoring is provided by expert health agencies, whose scientific advice to both Wyre Council and the community is that biomonitoring is not appropriate in this situation. 

“This advice is kept under regular review by the relevant agencies and has been published and widely shared for some time.”