UPDATE: The sites have been jointly agreed between the Environment Agency and Wyre Council. Phase one sampling is now complete, please see the locations of the sampling on the map below.
SAMPLING is set to get underway in September to consider whether historic contamination has occurred from Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone, in Thornton-Cleveleys.
Wyre Council, the area’s regulator for Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, announced in July that it had launched a detailed investigation following probable release to air of the chemical Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) by AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd (formerly ICI Ltd) at the Hillhouse site between the 1950s and 2012.
The investigation will be carried out by the Environment Agency and will be undertaken as a precautionary measure to establish whether the chemical released into the air affected land in the local area.
Release of the substance was within the permit held by AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd and also UK legislation in place at the time. A requirement to have a permit to operate only became law in the 1990s.
The sampling will involve collecting small amounts of soil from a number of publicly-owned locations within the vicinity of the site to establish whether PFOA is present and, if it is, to what extent. Some samples will also be taken from locations further away for comparison.
The activity will be carried out quickly using hand tools only. The results will then be analysed and used to inform subsequent stages of the investigation.
Rebecca Huddleston, Chief Executive of Wyre Council, said:
“We are working with partner agencies to undertake this investigation to establish whether historic contamination has occurred.
“As a council we are committed to keeping the community updated and will be holding drop-in events in the coming weeks for anyone who wants to find out more or ask a question.
“We will also continue to add information as it becomes available to the dedicated multi-agency webpage.”
PFOA is a chemical used in a wide range of products across the industrial, manufacturing and consumer sectors, including in non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, cosmetics and food packaging.
In 2019, it was added to the Stockholm International Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and last year it was classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
If contamination is found to have occurred following analysis and detailed risk assessment, Wyre Council will determine whether any land must be classified as contaminated under the criteria defined within Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The authority would then work with the Environment Agency to ensure the responsible party remediates the land in question to an acceptable standard.
Anyone can attend the drop-in events which will be held at Thornton Cleveleys Football Club, Gamble Road, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 4JH, on the following dates:
- Wednesday 25 September 2024 3pm to 7pm
- Monday 30 September 2024 3pm – 7pm
Further drop-in sessions will be held at regular intervals, with the next series due to be scheduled in January. People can also check for updates on the Wyre Council multi-agency webpage. Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone - Thornton-Cleveleys – Wyre Council