A debate on whether a legal limit for PFAS in drinking water should be introduced will be delayed until after June’s election, as backbenchers decide to ask for more time to review it.
Today, the States Assembly were due to determine if a statutory standard for the manmade group of chemicals, which has been linked to cancer and other health conditions, should come in.
Environment Minister Steve Luce is proposing a limit of 4 nanograms per litre to be achieved within five years – based on a recommendation of a panel of scientists employed by the government to advise it on how to best deal with the PFAS problem.
That standard is in keeping with jurisdictions at the forefront of tackling the worldwide problem of PFAS – a group of chemicals developed and used for their ability to repel water, heat and oil. They have since been dubbed ‘forever chemicals’ due to their inability to break down easily in the body or environment.
A legal limit of 4 ng/l was introduced in Sweden this January, while in Denmark it is 2 ng/l.
But it has been confirmed that the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel is due to ‘call in’ the proposal for it to be reviewed further – which would become the work of the next Assembly.
Panel chair Deputy Hilary Jeune explained: “We fully support the need to tackle PFAS and introduce a clear statutory framework to protect islanders’ drinking water.
“However, this is complex with high costs and uncertainty about deliverability, which means long-term implications, and we think it is essential for the Assembly to make decisions based on a clearer understanding than what we have at the moment.
“At the moment, we also have several amendments, especially from ministers [Treasury Minister Elaine Millar, who represents the views of Jersey Water, and Health Minister Tom Binet] who may have access to more information than we do.
“Because of the last-minute lodging of amendments, we have not had the time to question them and scrutinise”.
Deputy Jeune recognised that it would be up to the next panel to decide what to do, but the ‘calling in’ gave a clear steer to it, as well as the next Environment Minister and Council of Ministers, to pick this issue up as a priority.
The opportunity to ‘call in’ a proposition usually takes place after an ‘in principle’ debate, but Deputy Luce has the right to withdraw his proposal at any time, should be choose to.
