Decades-long uncertainty over PFAS plant leaves Lancashire residents demanding answers on cancer clusters

Residents near a PFAS manufacturing plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, are pressing for answers about whether decades of chemical contamination have caused a string of cancers in their community. The campaign has been galvanized by the experience of Liz Hurst, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer at age 32, just as her life was coming together.

"Everything I wanted was finally coming to fruition. A house, a change of job and getting married," says Liz Hurst, looking out to sea on a hot evening in Blackpool. "But then all of a sudden, everything was put on hold."

The Guardian‘I just want to know if it has caused my cancer’: life in the shadow of Lancashire Pfas factory

Hurst, now a survivor, is among those questioning whether the PFAS contamination from the AGC Chemicals Europe plant is to blame for her illness and other health problems in the area. Fifteen years after her diagnosis, she told the Guardian that she still lacks clarity about the source of her cancer.

A government-commissioned study found higher-than-expected rates of kidney cancer near the plant, according to the Guardian. However, residents say they have been kept in the dark for years, with many feeling that authorities have not adequately investigated the potential link between the contamination and local disease clusters.

The factory has been manufacturing PFAS chemicals, often called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the environment, for decades. Hurst's story highlights a broader frustration among the community: a desire for transparency and accountability from both the company and regulators, as they face an uncertain future in the shadow of the plant.