New ‘Forever Chemicals’ Report Urges UK Government to Turn off the Tap

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has officially released its final PFAS Inquiry Report, and the message is clear: the Government must act now to address ‘forever chemicals’ crisis. The Committee set out to determine whether current regulation, monitoring, and enforcement are sufficient to deal with both historic contamination and ongoing releases into the environment. Combining academic, industry and environmental group opinions, the Angling Trust broadly supports the report’s findings, which urge the government to act urgently to turn off the tap of ‘forever chemicals.’ 

Why should anglers care about the PFAS inquiry? 

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of man-made chemicals used in everything from non-stick pans to firefighting foams. They earned the name ‘forever chemicals,’ because they do not break down for hundreds or thousands of years, allowing them to accumulate over time in water, soils, wildlife and the human body. 

PFAS pollution in our rivers, lakes, and seas is endemic, particularly from wastewater discharges and agricultural runoff, meaning fish are continuously exposed. Over time, PFAS can build up in fish tissue, creating a pathway for these chemicals to move up the food chain – including to anglers, and anyone who consumes fish.  

The EAC’s report does not create or enforce law, but it can shape government decision by bringing together apolitical, expert opinion to analyse current government policy.  

The PFAS Inquiry Report is clear that: 

1. The UK environment is already significantly contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’ 
2. The current policy framework is falling behind our EU partners  
3. Urgent action is needed to stem the flow of PFAS into the environment, for the sake of wildlife and human health

Jamie Cook, CEO, Angling Trust & Fish Legal, commented: 

“The EAC is right to highlight that PFAS pollution is a growing and long-term threat to our rivers, wildlife and public health. PFAS pollution is not a future risk – it is already present in our rivers, estuaries and seas and accumulating in fish that people catch and eat. 

We welcome the clear call for stronger regulation and for polluters to be held accountable, but what matters now is delivery. Moving from substance-by-substance restrictions to group-based bans is an essential recommendation which we urge the Government to implement. We cannot afford further delay while contamination builds in waterways, making the problem more expensive and difficult to fix.” 

Several key recommendations made by The Angling Trust integrated into the EAC’s final report 

The EAC’s final report incorporates several of the core recommendations made by the Angling Trust. Most notably, the Committee endorses a shift to a precautionary, group-based approach to PFAS regulation, moving away from the current chemical-by-chemical system. This aligns closely with the Angling Trust’s submission, which highlighted that regulating individual substances is too slow and risks ‘regrettable substitution,’ where banned chemicals are replaced with similar, equally harmful alternatives. 

Before Brexit, the UK was part of EU REACH, one of the most advanced and well-resourced chemical regulatory regimes in the world. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, this system was replicated domestically as UK REACH. In practice, UK REACH has been slower to develop and implement restrictions, with fewer resources and significant delays in decision-making, which leaves the UK lagging behind the EU’s regulatory system. The report echoes our concerns about the pace and effectiveness of UK REACH. Following the EU in taking a group-based approach to PFAS regulation would allow the UK to catch up with the EU where it has lagged behind. 

There is also clear alignment on the importance of the ‘polluter pays’ principle. The Committee recognised that the financial burden of monitoring, managing and remediating PFAS pollution should not fall on the public, and instead calls for stronger mechanisms to ensure those responsible — including the chemical industry — are held accountable.  

In addition, the EAC reinforces the need for expanded and more effective monitoring, given current gaps in data and the need for better coordination between agencies. The Angling Trust has consistently advocated for better monitoring of the extent and impact of PFAS on the environment. We are clear, however, that the precautionary principle must apply, whereby information gaps are not used as an excuse for inaction. Given known carcinogenic effects of many PFAS, the Government must act to proactively ban substances, rather than wait several years for their full impact to be revealed before being action is taken. 

Finally, the report adopts a broader narrative consistent with the Angling Trust’s evidence: that PFAS represent a systemic, long-term environmental threat requiring urgent intervention. The cost of intervention to clean up PFAS contamination is far greater than the cost of rapid bans, given the chemicals’ persistence in the environment.  

Reasons for caution 

While the Environmental Audit Committee report represents a clear step forward and reflects many of the Angling Trust’s core concerns, there remain several important areas where the recommendations fall short of what is needed. 

Most notably, the report does not place sufficient emphasis on the aquatic environment and fish as a key exposure pathway. Although it recognises environmental contamination in general terms, it stops short of calling for routine, targeted monitoring of PFAS in fish populations or fully addressing the implications for those who catch and consume them. This is a significant omission given the central role of fish in transferring these chemicals through the food chain. 

There is also limited focus on sewage sludge spreading, where PFAS is used as a cheap fertiliser, despite water treatment failing to capture the vast majority of contaminants. This provides a direct pathway into rivers, when rain drives agricultural ‘fertilisers’ loaded with PFAS into our watercourses, and directly into food chains via soil.  

Conclusion 

PFAS are often called ‘forever chemicals’ for a reason. Once they are in the environment, they do not go away. Every year we delay action, the problem becomes more expensive and more difficult to fix. 

This report should be a turning point, but the EAC can only make recommendations – it does not exist to create or enforce the law. The Government must now move beyond plans and consultations, and take decisive action to protect our rivers, our wildlife, and the people who depend on them.