PFAS pollution of Jersey in 2004 / 2005 (FOI)

​​Request

In 2004 / 2005 there was an outbreak of PFAS Pollution on the Island of Jersey as reported by BBC Channel Islands News regarding PFAS Pollution at Jersey Airport and that 70% of residents were found to have high levels of PFAS compound in their blood.

So did the Government of Jersey or States of Guernsey report this outbreak of PFAS to the Westminster Government at the time, which would be Tony Blair's Labour Government.  Since there are two distinct Governments, what exactly did they do, was this whole matter reported in detail to the UKGovernment at any time?

Response

A review has been undertaken, including the News Release at the time, however, no specific records relating to PFAS / PFOS have been found. Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Information is not held by the Government of Jersey relating to the States of Guernsey, therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. You may wish to contact the States of Guernsey via the following link:

Freedom of Information - States of Guernsey (gov.gg)​

Articles applied 

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 10 - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding Information 

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b) the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.

(2) If a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority and –

(a) the information is absolutely exempt information or qualified exempt information; or

(b) if the authority does not hold the information, the information would be absolutely exempt Information or qualified exempt information if it had held it, the authority may refuse to inform the applicant whether or not it holds the information if it is satisfied that, in all the circumstances of the case, it is in the public interest to do so.​