PFAS permit consultation for Angus Fire, High Bentham
The Environment Agency wants to hear from you on a draft decision about Angus Fire’s site at High Bentham, North Yorkshire. The consultation opened on 5 March and runs until the end of 1 April 2026, with the draft decision and permit on the Agency’s Citizen Space. (consult.environment-agency.gov.uk)
The regulator says it is ‘minded to grant’ a variation to the existing environmental permit. In plain terms, after reviewing last summer’s feedback and the evidence, it currently can’t find a legal reason to refuse-but this is not final. Your comments now help test and, if needed, tighten the conditions. (gov.uk)
What’s proposed is an effluent treatment plant designed to strip PFAS from rainwater that lands on high‑risk areas and from water already collected on site. Once treated, that water would be discharged to the River Wenning, with proposed PFAS levels aligned to current best‑practice treatment standards. Angus Fire no longer manufactures firefighting foam at High Bentham; this plan deals with legacy contamination in rainwater. (gov.uk)
Quick explainer: PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are man‑made chemicals used in products like firefighting foam. They persist in the environment and can accumulate over time, which is why the UK now has a cross‑government PFAS Plan and tighter guidance for water companies to monitor the sum of 48 named PFAS. (gov.uk)
What to focus on when you respond. The Agency can consider environmental standards, whether the chosen technology and process are right for the job, local sensitive sites and populations, and whether monitoring and permit limits are appropriate. It cannot consider matters outside environmental permitting law, such as broad planning or siting objections. What it means: anchor your response in risk control, evidence and permit conditions. (consult.environment-agency.gov.uk)
How to take part. Send your response via Citizen Space, or email pscpublicresponse@environment‑agency.gov.uk. If online access is difficult, you can ring 03708 506 506 for help. Read the draft decision and permit first so your points map to the decision the regulator must make. The window is 5 March–1 April 2026. (consult.environment-agency.gov.uk)
How decisions are made. By law, the Environment Agency may only refuse if an application fails one or more legal requirements; if all requirements are met, it is required to issue the permit. The regulator can enforce permit conditions through notices, suspensions, revocation, fines and prosecution if needed. (gov.uk)
What happens next. After this consultation, the Agency reviews all responses alongside its technical assessment and then finalises the decision. ‘Minded to grant’ stays provisional until that point, and the final permit conditions can be adjusted before any decision is issued. (gov.uk)
A study prompt for classrooms and community groups. Skim the decision document and pull out the proposed PFAS limits and monitoring points; list three practical questions you’d ask the operator about sampling frequency, reporting and contingency during heavy rain. Then compare those ideas with the national direction set out in the PFAS Plan. This turns a consultation into a learning moment with real‑world impact. (gov.uk)