ENVIRONMENT Minister Steve Luce accepted that Islanders might feel government action on PFAS was “too little, too late” as he was confronted by scores of angry residents living in an area affected by historic contamination at a recent public meeting. Held at the Rugby Club in St Peter, the meeting provided updates on ongoing investigations into the contamination of so-called “forever chemicals” that have been linked to elevated cholesterol, and kidney and testicular cancers. While Jersey Water has maintained that mains water contains only trace amounts of PFAS, and that the company is fully compliant with EU and UK regulations, higher concentrations of the chemical have been found in areas below the Airport runway. The primary source of contamination in these areas was PFAS-containing firefighting foam used at the Airport, which seeped into the ground and polluted private water supplies around St Ouen’s Bay. In 2022, 78 Islanders who lived in the affected area had their blood tested and every one of them was found to have PFAS in their blood. It was revealed at the meeting that an independent panel of experts was set to carry out further testing across the Island, including boreholes, sea foam, soil and seawater. The panel will also assess international approaches to PFAS regulation and explore water treatment options to reduce contamination in drinking water. Environment Minister Steve Luce also revealed that a clinical service for Islanders who had their blood tested in 2022 would be launched, offering appointments with a PFAS-informed doctor to review medical history, discuss concerns and provide referrals where necessary. This comes after preliminary research from the PFAS panel suggested cholesterol-lowering medication could help reduce levels of the chemical in the bloodstream. Deputy Luce told the meeting: “Jersey will be the first place in Europe to provide clinical interventions to reduce PFAS levels in human blood. “This pioneering effort underscores our dedication to protecting public health and implementing innovative solutions to address PFAS contamination. “For many of you directly impacted by the historical use of firefighting foam, it is not lost on me that this may feel a little too little, too late, and I empathise with that view.” At the end of the meeting, several Islanders shared personal experiences of health concerns and questioned why certain properties had not been provided with clean water. One resident said: “In 2022, I was found to have PFAS in my blood. And at the end of 2022, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness.” A farmer also raised concerns over the impact of contamination on agriculture, saying that they had been unable to grow potatoes in recent years. Some attendees called for the government to release full details of its historical agreement with 3M, the company that manufactured the firefighting foam linked to the contamination. Health Minister Deputy Tom Binet urged the public to focus on moving forward, while acknowledging the frustration in the room. “We’ve been working on this for 13 months,” he said. “There have been a lot of comments this evening about historical issues. We can apologise 1,000 times if you want, but we cannot change the past. “What we can do is take responsibility for moving forward.” A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday 3 April, when the next independent PFAS report by the panel is expected to be discussed.