With a population of only a few thousand, Bentham lies close to the borders of Cumbria and Lancaster, and is a short journey away from the picturesque settings of the Ingleton Waterfalls and the Ribblehead Viaduct. But Bentham also holds a disturbing secret, which is now being exposed.
High levels of toxic PFAS pollution have been detected there. Now residents are beginning a legal battle against fire-fighting foam manufacturer Angus International Safety Group, or ‘Angus Fire Limited’, for ill health impacts allegedly owing to pollution, which residents claim comes from the wastewater sites owned by Angus Fire.
Highest levels of PFAS pollution in the UK
In May 2024, the Guardian newspaper reported the ENDs Report findings, which discovered readings in the groundwater samples of “the highest concentrations of total PFAS … in any environment in England”.
The article continued,“Under its permit, the firm is required to test the soil and groundwater on the site. The results of this testing, obtained by the Ends Report, show that in 2008 the groundwater samples recorded a PFAS sum of 1,199,000 ng/l.
“Within this total sum of PFAS was 18,100 ng/l of PFOA and 36,100 ng/l of PFOS. PFOA is categorised as a class one carcinogen and both substances are now banned.
“To put these numbers in context, the government’s environmental quality standard for PFOS – which is intended to protect waters from the harmful effects of contaminants- is 0.65 ng/l – 55,538 times lower than that recorded on the Angus Fire site.”
What are PFAS chemicals?
PFAS chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have routinely been referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not naturally break down in the environment. They are a large group of over 10,000 artificial chemicals, which have been created for a range of everyday human uses, such as packaging, cosmetics, waterproof materials and fire retardant materials. Some of these PFAS chemicals have been linked to a range of diseases, including hormone disruption and a range of cancers.
A cancer hot spot?
Public Health data for Bentham indicates that there appears to be a ‘cancer hot spot’ there when compared to neighbouring areas. Deaths from all cancers for all ages appear to be higher in Bentham, at 118.6, than the standardised mortality ratio for England, which is 100.0. The standardised mortality ratio for North Yorkshire was even lower, at 92.0, bringing the Bentham reading into sharper focus. It is important to note, of course, that no conclusions can be drawn from this observation at this stage, as multiple factors may be involved. Certainly, for the residents of Bentham, it only serves to underscore what they already know: that some of them are sick and that – they suspect – this is linked to the PFAS pollution.
Residents instruct legal team
The Environment Agency itself is considering potential action against the company, as documents obtained under Freedom of Information requests appear to indicate that Angus Fire ignored advice and recommendations from their consultants. Some residents of Bentham have now also instructed lawyers over the levels of contamination.
Charlotte Armstrong, a senior associate solicitor at the law firm Leigh Day, told me that,“Leigh Day has been instructed to investigate a case on behalf of affected residents against Angus Fire Limited as a result of alleged PFAS pollution in Bentham. PFAS are ‘forever chemicals’ and, unfortunately, this means that once they are in the environment it is very difficult to remove them. Unfortunately, the testing which has been conducted so far by Angus Fire is very proximate to the factory site which means that it is currently impossible to assess the potential scale of the pollution problem. Our clients and the wider community in Bentham are entitled to fully understand the extent of PFAS pollution in their community, so that those allegedly responsible can be held to account in terms of financial compensation and comprehensive remediation”.
A ‘legacy contamination issue’
An Angus Fire spokesperson responded to Yorkshire Bylines’ request for comment as follows:
“Angus is proud of the work it does in designing and manufacturing products that save lives and protect critical assets around the world, and is proud to be a responsible employer in Bentham.
“We recognise the concerns about potentially damaging environmental impacts from historic operations at our facility and regret the inconvenience and worry that this has caused.
“Angus Fire is engaged, and has been for several years, in a comprehensive testing programme that is ongoing and is intended to establish the extent of PFAS contamination and to help determine the remediation required.
“In the meantime, we are taking every measure to ensure contamination remains on site. We have captured and are storing more than 3.1 million litres of storm water, and have ordered equipment to treat it, in the biggest purchase of equipment made in the company’s history. This should be operational early in 2025.
“We have kept our regulator the Environment Agency closely informed about every step of this process. We also provide regular updates on the situation to elected local representatives. Lastly, we publish details about this work and the test results received via our microsite www.derbs.co.uk.
“We have a good relationship with our local community and want to maintain that.”
Protecting the community
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Alongside North Yorkshire Council, we are considering historic PFAS contamination from the Angus Fire site. The Environment Agency is responsible for regulating the permitted activities at the site and we continue to work with partners to address the concerns raised by the local community.”
The statement continued, “We are currently reviewing Angus Fire’s environmental permit in relation to PFAS. We will continue to assess any risks associated with the historic presence of these chemicals, including potential contamination”.
The MP for Skipton and Ripon, the Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE, told Yorkshire Bylines:
“I am confident that the Environment Agency and North Yorkshire Council are fully engaged with the company and managing this situation.
“Both agencies are working to assess the situation, protect the community, and explore effective solutions. I look forward to further updates as both agencies’ work continues.”
The real price is human health
With over 10,000 sites being identified by the Environment Agency for past and current use of PFAS chemicals, it is likely that although Bentham may be the first location for a PFAS related legal case, it is unlikely to be the last. Current research conservatively suggests that the cost to clean up legacy pollution of PFAS in the UK alone, could top £400mn for the next twenty years, though this would scarcely scratch the surface, as it does not include the human cost. As Bentham could demonstrate, it is too easy to talk about remediating the soil and fixing drinking water and landfill leachate, and ‘fixing’ legacy pollution, but the real price is that of human health.
Who is going to pay to fix that?
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