Testing at the former RAF Upper Heyford base, where 9,000 homes are planned or located, has found what a report describes as the worst chemical contamination in Britain. The site contains “unacceptable” levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, and further reports have identified widespread pollution in groundwater, surface water and nearby streams.
PFAS contamination at RAF Upper Heyford
The tests were commissioned by developer Dorchester Living and carried out as part of a survey of the former military site. The results were uploaded to Cherwell District Council’s website alongside 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”.
PFAS are a group of 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.
Concerns had already been raised that RAF Upper Heyford could be polluting nearby waterways, following preliminary inspections by campaigners and the Environment Agency (EA).
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 investigation of groundwater and surface water found that contamination was “widespread” and that every sample 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.
Developer says residential land is safe
Paul Silver, chief executive of Dorchester Living, said separate soil samples taken from the residential property showed that the area was “safe for use”.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk