Paul Silver the CEO of developer and site owner Dorchester Living said he welcomed McLean’s “proactive approach in calling for a co-ordinated, multi-agency response to PFAS”.
“This is a national issue, one that communities and policymakers across the UK are grappling with as scientific understanding and regulation continue to evolve and it is right that government is urged to act with urgency,” he added.
Bicester and Woodstock MP Calum Miller has also reiterated his request in parliament for residents to meet with the Environment and Health Secretaries.
It comes weeks after Sir Keir Starmer said he would “make sure” that the “appropriate steps are taken” to tackle the contamination, in response to a question from Miller during PMQs.
Sir Keir also said a meeting would take place between residents and the relevant government ministers.
Earlier this week, the BBC revealed that historic Ministry of Defence documents described ‘firefighting chemicals’ being washed down the drain at the RAF site.
PFAS – which can take thousands of years to break down – were used in firefighting foams, with some since being banned in England and Wales due to their potential carcinogenic risks.
These are now feared to be the source of chemical pollution in nearby waterways.
The Environment Agency (EA) previously stated there was a risk of contamination at the site from historic fire fighting activities.
Concerns were first raised by residents in April after previous water data came to light and showed high levels of the chemicals 4km (2.5 miles) downstream.
Since then, Dorchester Living – which is looking to build 9,000 new homes at the former RAF base – admitted it had not tested for the chemicals.
It said earlier this month that PFAS “has only more recently emerged as a focus for investigation and was not historically included within the suite of substances routinely tested for.”
