Traces of the pollutant formerly used in firefighting foam at the Airport, which have been found in boreholes in St Peter, are not being linked to previous contamination in St Ouen’s Bay.
However, Deputy John Young said that if the pollution necessitated it, the States might have to consider paying to connect the affected properties to mains water, as they did with properties in the bay, which were polluted by run-off from the Airport’s fire-training ground in the 1990s.
The Island’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Susan Turnbull, said she would have no hesitation in asking tough questions if required to ensure the health of Islanders following the latest contamination cases.
‘I am there to represent the interests and the health of Islanders and be confident that the right processes are in place,’ she said. ‘If there are any awkward questions that need to be asked on behalf of Islanders, I will ask them.’
This week tests on five boreholes and a number of areas of water near the Airport showed low-level traces, well below the safe level for drinking water, of perfluorooctane sulfonate – a pollutant once used in firefighting foam, fabrics and even food packaging which, in high doses, has been linked to cancer and other health issues.
Experts believe the latest contamination could have been caused by foam used on a fire after a plane crashed into a house near St Peter’s Church in 1980.
Following the positive tests, they have now extended the testing to a further 50 nearby properties. Jersey Water said PFOS had never been found in the Island’s mains drinking water.
A team has been set up to bring together States departments and experts, and discuss how to manage any potential contamination if required.
Deputy Young, who is joined on that group by Dr Turnbull and representatives of plant health, the States vet, Jersey Water, Environmental Health and Environmental Protection, said more information was needed before action could be considered,
However, he added: ‘When these sorts of results come up, we need to find out whether it is more extensive or whether it is an isolated event.
‘One of the things it flags up again, and this is something the group will need to discuss, is the potential for the extension of water mains to serve affected properties. In the meantime I have taken advice from the MOH about whether or not there is any impact on younger children, for example. What I am told is that the levels of contamination identified are very low. Nonetheless, it is there.’
He added: ‘We want to identify potentially where there is an area of contamination and how far it goes and what it covers. At the moment we don’t think it is connected with the previous contamination issue at the Airport from the fire service training area. We don’t think from the geology of the land and lay of the land that this is connected. The prime suspect, as it were, is the events of a few decades ago when there was a plane crash just north of the Airport.
‘We do understand PFOS was used [to fight that fire].’
Deputy Young said he was not aware of any previous testing for PFOS in this new area and it was not therefore possible to know whether the concentration had lowered in the 39 years since the crash.
He added: ‘We have the right experts around the table and obviously if there are issues coming out of that group that require political decisions, for example resources or funds to deal with things, that group will tell me. At the moment I can’t judge that.
‘We don’t think there is a connection [with the St Ouen’s Bay plume] other than that it is the same material. But who knows? One can’t rule it out, not at this stage. Obviously it serves to illustrate just how much we depend on clean, fresh ground water and how we really have to make sure our pollution control is fully up to strength and we are not complacent in any way.’
