𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Ministers’ plan to protect the nation from harmful “forever chemicals” has been branded “a roadmap to nowhere”. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said PFAS, which is per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, is “one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time”. The chemicals are found almost everywhere because of their use in products like non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, cosmetics, food packaging, and firefighting foams, contaminating water, soil, air, and even remote environments. 

The full extent of “forever chemicals” in England’s estuaries and coastal waters will be assessed for the first time as part of the Government’s PFAS plan. Officials will also try to understand where these chemicals are coming from, how they spread and how to reduce public and environmental exposure. 

Imposing legal limits on the levels of forever chemicals found in drinking water is among the proposals.

Chloe Alexander, chemicals policy lead at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “This plan is a roadmap to nowhere for one of the most serious pollution threats facing nature and public health. After years of warnings about the harms of PFAS, the Government has produced a crushingly disappointing framework that ducks the hard decisions and kicks action into the long grass. 

“There are no binding phase-outs, no timetable for ending everyday uses for which affordable alternatives are already available, and no commitment to match the EU’s proposed broad ban on the use and manufacture of all PFAS – despite overwhelming evidence that tackling these ‘forever chemicals’ one by one simply does not work. Instead, the plan leans heavily on more monitoring, guidance and future consultations, while PFAS continue to build up in rivers, soils, wildlife and even our own bodies. 

 “The roadmap leaves nature and consumers exposed to forever chemicals at the expense of environmental and human health, does nothing to make polluters pay, and lets the UK drift even further behind other countries. Without urgent, precautionary regulation, this plan risks locking in decades of avoidable harm to ecosystems and people alike.” 

The Government told how there is growing evidence that the widespread use of forever chemicals has created risks to both people and the environment.

It said these “will likely remain for hundreds of years”.

Environment Minister Emma Hardy said:  “The persistent nature of ‘forever chemicals’ means they pose a long-term challenge for not only our health, but that of the nation’s vital ecosystems.  

“It’s crucial that we protect both public health and the environment for future generations. Through our PFAS Plan, we will act decisively to reduce their harmful effects while transitioning to safer alternatives.  

“We will work in partnership with regulators, industry and local communities to deliver co-ordinated action to ensure ‘forever chemicals’ are not a forever problem.”