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Regulators Ignore Toxic 'Forever Chemical' Emissions from Lancashire Plant
19 Oct
Summary
- Independent sampling finds reprotoxic substance EEA-NH4 in soils around AGC Chemicals factory
- Environment Agency not testing for EEA-NH4 despite evidence it is being emitted in large volumes
- Experts warn excluding EEA-NH4 from risk assessments could underestimate health risks from Pfas
As of October 19th, 2025, regulators in Lancashire, England have been criticized for not testing for a potentially hazardous 'forever chemical' produced by a local chemicals plant, despite evidence it is being emitted in significant quantities and detected in surrounding soils.
The Environment Agency has been investigating the AGC Chemicals facility in Thornton-Cleveleys for discharging high levels of the banned carcinogenic Pfas (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) called PFOA into the River Wyre. However, the agency has overlooked testing for another Pfas called EEA-NH4, which is used in the production of chemicals for non-stick products.
Independent sampling conducted last month has now confirmed the presence of EEA-NH4 in soils around the AGC plant. Experts warn that excluding this substance from risk assessments could severely underestimate the health risks posed by Pfas contamination in the area.
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"Our results showed that in addition to PFOA, the soil consistently contains EEA-NH4 and other harmful chemicals. Any human health risk assessment that does not include these is likely to underpredict the true dangers," said Dr. David Megson, a Pfas expert who carried out the analysis.
Regulators claim they can only test for Pfas with established analytical standards, and one does not yet exist for EEA-NH4. However, critics argue this is an unacceptable limitation, as the agency should focus on the specific Pfas originating from the source, rather than a limited set of commonly detected substances.
"Considering all we know about Pfas, it remains a shock that there is so little oversight of emissions from production factories. Citizens often bear the health and remediation costs, so they need to know how much Pfas is being released," said Professor Hans Peter Arp, a Pfas expert.
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AGC Chemicals has stated that the use of EEA-NH4 is authorized under their permit, and an independent risk assessment conducted in April 2023 found no significant public health risk. However, the company has also volunteered to commission a third-party assessment of the land it occupies, with findings expected to be shared with authorities early next year.
