The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee will hear evidence on Wednesday 4 February from the Minister for Water, and environmental and health and safety regulators, in the final session of its inquiry into addressing the .risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
MPs on the cross-party committee have been exploring how the government should approach regulating and remediating PFAS - the large, complex group of about 14,000 synthetic chemicals are used in a wide variety of everyday products.
The so-called ‘forever chemicals’ do not degrade easily in the environment and public concern has grown in recent years about the risks of PFAS contaminating the environment and even impacting human health. Research has suggested that PFAS can lead to a range of health issues, including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, a higher risk of certain cancers and immune system suppression.
The inquiry has been considering whether enough is being done to address the risks of PFAS in the UK and whether research institutions and the Environment Agency are equipped to detect and monitor their impact. It will also explore what regulatory mechanisms are in place across the UK and how they compare to other jurisdictions around the world, such as the European Union and the United States of America.
New EU-wide protections against PFAS in drinking water came into effect in January.
In Wednesday’s session, MPs will question witnesses on how the government is approaching the regulation of such a large class of chemicals, including the future of UK REACH regulations, the main mechanism by which PFAS are regulated in the UK.
They will also ask about the government’s approach to legacy PFAS. They may ask who will be required to pay for remediating PFAS, and what methods will be used to destroy it.
Witnesses appearing before the EAC are a follows:
Panel one, from 14.30:
- Liz Parkes MBE, Deputy Director for Climate Change, Chemicals & Markets, Environment Agency
- Matt Womersley, Environment and Business Manager – Chemicals Regulatory Development, Environment Agency
- Richard Daniels, Divisional Director of Chemicals Regulation Division, Health and Safety Executive
Panel two, from 15.30:
- Emma Hardy MP, Minister for Water and Flooding
- Marc Casale, Deputy Director, Chemicals & International, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Click here to watch the evidence session live on parliamentlive.tv or to catch up later
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