Calls for government action on chemical pollution

An aerial view of a fire pit at former RAF Upper Heyford in 1989.

Image source, National ArchivesImage caption,

The "fire practice pond" at Upper Heyford where firefighting chemicals were "drained into storm water drainage"

ByEthan GudgeSouth of England

Published26 minutes ago

The leader of a local authority has written to the government calling for it to take action after forever chemical contamination was uncovered at a former RAF air base.

Independent testing in a stream near RAF Upper Heyford, in Oxfordshire, recently found levels of 'forever chemicals' 43,000 times higher than environmental standards.

Local campaigners have previously called for immediate testing on people and the surrounding environment to understand the scale of pollution and its potential impact.

Lesley McLean, leader of Cherwell District Council, has now written to the water and flooding minister, Emma Hardy, asking for a meeting to address the issue.

Her letter also called for the government to consider designating Heyford Park and its surrounding area as a priority monitoring site for the chemicals - known as PFAS.

"I'm calling on all national and local agencies to pull together urgently to understand exactly what the health concerns are and agree what immediate actions are required to ensure this matter is properly understood," she said.

"I hope Emma Hardy MP responds positively to my request for a meeting and can help bring about a comprehensive multi-agency response."

A lady stands on a bridge overlooking a stream that runs past her house. There is shrubbery on either side.

Image caption,

Resident Leigh Radwell wants to know if PFAS has polluted the community

The letter comes after historic Ministry of Defence documents seen by the BBC, described 'firefighting chemicals' being washed down the drain at the RAF site.

PFAS - which can take thousands of years to break down - were used in firefighting foams, with some since being banned in England and Wales due to their potential carcinogenic risks.

These are now feared to be the source of chemical pollution in nearby waterways.

The Environment Agency (EA) previously stated there was a risk of contamination at the site from historic fire fighting activities.

Concerns were first raised by residents in April after previous water data came to light and showed high levels of the chemicals 4km (2.5 miles) downstream.

Since then, site owner Dorchester Living - which is looking to build 9,000 new homes at the former RAF base - admitted it had not tested for the chemicals.

It said earlier this month that PFAS "has only more recently emerged as a focus for investigation and was not historically included within the suite of substances routinely tested for."