Angus Fire - Bentham - Lancashire
Angus Fire - Bentham
Making Monnex fire extinguisher powder for liquid and electrical fires, without using PFAS.
Operation an oil‑fired boiler.
Storing raw materials, finished products, and waste.
Treating stormwater collected on site and safely discharging it to the River Wenning.
Recording non‑compliances in a Compliance Assessment Report (CAR) and requiring corrective actions.
Issuing notices requiring specific actions.
In more serious cases, suspending or revoking permits.
What is this site?
Historically, Angus Fire designed, manufactured, and tested various fire protection products, including Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF), at its site in High Bentham, North Yorkshire.
Some AFFF products required the use of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Angus Fire stopped testing foams containing PFAS at Bentham in 2022 and has since stopped manufacturing all foam products at the site. Testing of non‑PFAS foams continues, but this activity is not regulated by the Environment Agency.
Due to the historic use of PFAS, the site is a source of PFAS in the environment. Evidence shows PFAS is present in the groundwater beneath and across the site.
Angus Fire applied for a permit variation in 2025. Following consultation and assessment, Permit XP3832NV V004 was issued on 08/05/2026. More detail on this, including the Permit Variation Decision Document, is provided in the ‘What activities are covered by the environmental permit?’ section below.
There has been significant national media interest in the Angus Fire site and its historical use of PFAS. We recognise that this has caused concern for residents in Bentham and the surrounding areas.
What activities are covered by the environmental permit?
Environmental Permits
Environmental permits set out the legal rules a company must follow, including what activities it can carry out, how it must operate, and limits on emissions to air, water, and land to protect local people and the environment.
Angus Fire holds an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency XP3832NV V004.
What activities are permitted?
The permit for Angus Fire covers the following activities:
Permit Variation
After consultation with other organisations and the public, we issued a permit variation for this site.
The variation allows for an effluent treatment plant to reduce PFAS in rainwater collected on site, including future rainfall. Rainwater can pick up PFAS as it passes over the site, leading to contaminated water. The treatment plant will reduce the overall risk of PFAS entering the environment. After treatment, the water will be discharged to the River Wenning.
The levels of PFAS remaining in treated water will be in line with current best practice for PFAS treatment.
Through the permitting process, we have determined that the effluent treatment plant represents Best Available Techniques (BAT) for treating PFAS in stormwater.
You can read the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s guidance on PFAS and ‘forever chemicals’.
We have also issued a decision document explaining the reasons for granting the variation: Decision document: Angus Fire
How do we regulate this site and check for compliance?
The Environment Agency's role at the Angus Fire Site
The Environment Agency regulates activities at the Angus Fire site in Bentham under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR). Our job is to ensure that Angus Fire complies with permit conditions and that activities at the site do not harm the environment.
Setting Standards and Limits
Through the permitting process, we establish specific limits on any pollutants that can be released from a site. The current permit variation for Angus Fire includes specific emission limits for discharges to the River Wenning, including PFAS such as PFOS and PFOA. It also ensures that the best available techniques (BAT) are used to effectively reduce PFAS levels to meet strict environmental standards.
Monitoring and Assessing Compliance
It is our responsibility to monitor sites to ensure they are keeping to the conditions of their environmental permit. We monitor compliance by carrying out site inspections, auditing management systems, reviewing emissions data, and investigating incidents.
For Angus Fire this includes investigating the full extent of any potential contamination, ensuring compliance with existing permit conditions, and considering potential enforcement actions if any breaches are identified.
Enforcement Action
If an operator fails to meet permit conditions, we will take action. This may include:
We can also pursue criminal prosecution for significant or repeated breaches, which may result in financial penalties through the courts. Our aim is to ensure polluters are held accountable and environmental harm is prevented or corrected.
Responding to Incidents
We respond to environmental incidents, such as pollution events, and investigate their causes and impacts. We also ensure that those responsible take action to clean up and manage contamination over time.
Addressing PFAS at Angus Fire in Bentham
Angus Fire is currently working to address the legacy of PFAS at its site. The Environment Agency is the key regulatory body overseeing this process.
The recent permit variation issued ensures that the best available techniques (BAT) are used to effectively reduce PFAS levels to meet strict environmental standards.
This is a complex issue that requires careful investigation and action within the site's environmental permit conditions and regulatory controls. This work will take time, but we are committed to ensuring that appropriate measures are put in place. We will continue to update the community as further information becomes available
Ongoing oversight and enforcement
The Environment Agency is working closely with North Yorkshire Council and the UK Health Security Agency to manage the risks associated with PFAS at the site.
Latest information
Angus Fire desk study
The Environment Agency is enhancing its understanding of PFAS emissions through a nationwide PFAS Risk Screening Project. PFAS have been widely used across multiple industries, including textiles, electronics, and manufacturing.
Using this approach, we have identified potential PFAS source sites such as landfills, fire stations, airports, and industrial facilities. One of the most significant sources of PFAS contamination has been the use of PFAS-containing Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF). Some AFFF have historically contained PFAS compounds, which were highly effective at extinguishing fuel fires, however they are now known to be persistent and toxic.
These foams were widely used during fire training exercises, emergency responses, and in fire suppression systems, often applied directly to the ground or washed into drains, leading to environmental contamination.
Phase 4 of the Environment Agency’s PFAS Risk Screening Project comprises a detailed assessment of several previously identified potential source sites including Angus Fire Limited. This is a chemicals facility manufacturing fire suppressant products, including AFFF. Foams have historically been tested on this site within a designated fire testing pad. PFAS-containing foams are no longer produced or tested on the site.
The desk study attached to this email was commissioned as a preliminary assessment of potential source-pathway-receptor linkages at the site.