Sampling to begin for probe into possible contamination at Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone in Lancashire

A leading international plastics manufacturer says it is working closely with investigators into possible historic contamination at Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone site in Thornton. Sampling is set to get underway next week to consider whether this historic contamination has occurred at the site.

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.

In a previous statement , AGC Chemicals Europe, Ltd. (AGCCE) says it is working collaboratively with Wyre Council, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders during the investigation and says it does not currently manufacture or sell PFOA. 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.

Wyre Council statement

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 on our Council website.”

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 September 25 3pm to 7pm, with another session at Monday September 30 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

What chemical firm says

A spokesperson for AGC Chemical Europe, Ltd. (AGCCE) said it “has always worked collaboratively with the Environment Agency, Wyre Council, local community and wider stakeholders, and will continue to do so as the detailed investigation is carried out.

“Although this investigation has not yet started, at AGCCE we regularly monitor our emissions as we aim to ensure our activities do not pose a risk to the environment or to human health. 

“All our essential chemical processes and products are already rigorously monitored and controlled and today we are compliant with current UK and EU environmental laws and regulations.  

“For clarity, AGCCE does not manufacture or sell PFOA, PFOS or firefighting foam.   

“As AGCCE has previously disclosed, the Hillhouse Industrial Estate site, where AGCCE is based, has a history of chemicals manufacturing dating as far back as the 1890’s, and it is expected that any residual contamination from the site is related to historical activities. “