A report says chemical contamination at the former RAF Upper Heyford base, which is being developed as a community of 9,000 homes, may be the worst in Britain. Tests commissioned by developer Dorchester Living found “unacceptable” levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of persistent chemicals also known as “forever chemicals”.
PFAS contamination at the former airbase
Concerns had already been raised that the site could be polluting nearby waterways, following preliminary inspections by campaigners and the Environment Agency (EA).
PFAS comprise thousands of man-made chemicals. Some can cause cancer, and they are often called forever chemicals because they do not break down easily in the environment.
The site survey results were uploaded to Cherwell District Council’s website as part of a planning application. The report’s authors said the contamination was higher than at Bentham in Yorkshire, which had been “judged to have the highest levels of PFAS in the UK”.
Paul Silver, chief executive of Dorchester Living, said separate soil samples taken from the residential property showed that the area was “safe for use”.
Firefighting training identified as a major source
The EA said military installations and airports are hotspots for PFAS, which have been widely used in firefighting foams for decades.
At RAF Upper Heyford, firefighters practised setting aircraft on fire over a fuel “pond”. The training area was identified as the “most significant known source of PFAS contamination” at the site.
A separate report examining groundwater and surface water found that contamination was “widespread” and that all samples exceeded environmental standards.
Subsequent independent testing by the Garosbrook Environmental Group found elevated levels of chemicals in more than a dozen streams flowing from beneath the base.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
