AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd has announced plans to close its manufacturing plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, just days after the Guardian revealed that more than 90 residents have expressed interest in a potential legal claim over contamination of the local area. The company cited 'significant financial and operational challenges' as the reason for the proposed closure.
Closure consultation underway
The firm is consulting with employees and union representatives about ceasing operations at the site. The consultation is expected to last at least 45 days. While no final decision has been made, all 190 employees and 18 agency staff will be affected. The company stated that the site has generated a loss for the past four years.
Historical PFOA emissions
AGC Chemicals Europe is at the centre of an ongoing investigation into its historic emissions of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), a type of PFAS linked to kidney cancer. PFAS, known as 'forever chemicals,' do not break down in the environment. The factory, acquired by AGC in 1999, used PFOA to produce PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) for non-stick coatings. PFOA was banned globally in 2020.
Between the 1950s and 2012, the facility emitted an estimated 49 tonnes of the carcinogenic chemical PFOA. The Environment Agency and local council tested soil and produce, finding widespread contamination. Residents have been advised to wash and peel homegrown food and avoid locally produced eggs. Two allotment sites near the factory have been shut down.
Health study findings
Last month, a government-commissioned study found higher-than-expected rates of kidney cancer near the plant. Although the study found no evidence of a cancer cluster or environmental association, world-leading experts described the findings as a 'major source of concern' and called for further investigation, including blood testing. Internal documents previously revealed that AGC funded PFOA testing on monkeys in the late 1990s, resulting in deaths and increased liver weight in all subjects.
Legal action underway
The Guardian reported last Friday that law firm Leigh Day has written to AGC Chemicals Europe regarding a potential claim on behalf of resident Sam Hammond, whose duck eggs were heavily contaminated with PFOA. The level in one egg was so high that eating just one per week would exceed the European safe weekly PFAS level by 10 times. Leigh Day said the claim involves 'loss of enjoyment and usage' of land and potential personal injuries. Over 90 residents have indicated interest in legal action, with 50 accessing blood tests over the summer. In the US, PFAS contamination has resulted in billion-dollar settlements.
Company response
AGC Chemicals Europe said it takes its 'responsibilities to protect employees, the local community and the environment very seriously.' It added: 'If a decision is taken to cease manufacture, AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd remains committed to ensuring compliance with all regulatory obligations, including maintaining the necessary staff for environmental permit compliance and any environmental monitoring that may be required.'
Regarding the contamination claims, the company stated that the multi-agency Health Cell report 'concluded that there was no evidence of a statistically significant kidney cancer cluster, no clustering of cases close to the current AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd site, and no indication of a link to environmental levels.' The firm stopped using PFOA in 2012 but continues to produce and emit another PFAS chemical, EEA-NH4. The Health and Safety Executive is consulting on whether to classify this chemical as a 'possible carcinogen.'
