PFAS and Action for Clean Water (FOI)

​​​​​​​​​Request

The Action for Clean Water Group (ACWG) is a joint initative between Jersey Water and the Government of Jersey.  Please confirm the ACWG's perspective on the issue of PFAS in our island water, as discussed in their meeting of 10 July 2024.

A

Was this meeting Minuted? If so, please publish the full transcript. 

B

If there is no transcript, please confirm which ​scientist [name redacted] informed the group concerning PFAS?

C

Please detail the sources of [name redacted] information?

D

What are [name redacted] qualifications, in relation to PFAS?

E

Did anyone else in the group provide an opinion on PFAS? If so, please provide details. 

F

Has the Government of Jersey appointed PFAS Panel been invited to contribute to the understanding of PFAS for the ACWG? The panel includes:

• Dr Steve Hajioff: Independent Chair
  
• Dr Tony Fletcher: PFAS and health expert and epidemiologist​
• Professor Ian Cousins: PFAS and environment expert

Response

A and B

The Minutes for the meeting held on 10 July 2024 are attached. 

AFCW Meeting 10 July 2024 Minutes.pdf​

Personal information within the documents has been redacted in accordance with Article 25 (Personal Information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. 

C

The Government of Jersey does not collect or hold data referred to by [name redacted].  Therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

D

[name redacted] is not a member of the AFCW group. He accompanied Government Officers from Infrastructure and Environment who were invited to the meeting to provide members with an understanding of compost and sewage sludge disposal to land. Therefore no comment can be made on [name redacted] qualifications in relation to PFAS.

E

No one else provided an opinion on PFAS in the meeting.

F

The PFAS Panel have not been invited to contribute to the understanding of PFAS for the ACWG.

The PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel will likely produce an Environment Report which, if appropriate, might include an assessment of PFAS of sewage sludge and on land outside of the PFAS plume areas. This work is not commissioned or directed by the AFCW group.

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 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.​