PFAS minutes (FOI)

​Request

PFAS -Technical and Political Group Meetings

A report "PFAS and water quality in Jersey 2019 An interim report from Officer Technical Group" was presented to the States on the 16 July 2019 as R.87/2019.

This report includes on page 10:

"These groups have met on a fortnightly basis since 26 February 2019 (officers) and 8 March (political) to oversee a programme of work to understand what is being witnessed in the water environment, and what implications this may have."

Please will you provide me with copies of the minutes, redacted only to the extent necessary for data protection requirements, from the formulation of these two groups to the present day.

Response

Minutes of the Political Group meetings were not taken. Updates were provided to this group verbally, on a fortnightly basis, in accordance with the Terms of Reference. The Terms of Reference are available within the report on page 12.

The Technical Group recorded the outcomes of their meetings by way of an ‘action plan’ that was updated at each meeting. A copy of the action plan is enclosed.

Action Plan 

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

Item 2 of the Action plan has been withheld in accordance with Article 42 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

Growth, Housing and Environment (GHE) are in the early stages of an investigation into potential further pollution in this area. As investigations are ongoing, any further information is currently exempt under Article 42 (Law Enforcement), as the disclosure of information at this time could prejudice inquiries. It is the opinion of GHE that such potential prejudice outweighs the public interest in favour of current disclosure.

Article(s) applied:

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.

Article 42 - Law enforcement

Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice –

(a) the prevention, detection or investigation of crime, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

(b) the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, whether in respect of offences Committed in Jersey or elsewhere;

(c) the administration of justice, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;