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LLG Webinar: What PFAS means for Local Authorities

24 March 2026 12:00 - 13:00

Online

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24 March 2026  |  Free

PFAS — often referred to as “forever chemicals” — have been widely used in industrial processes and consumer products for decades. As evidence grows around their potential health and environmental impacts, regulators and lawmakers are increasingly focused on how to limit their use and address contamination already present in the environment.

Sites such as landfills, manufacturing facilities, and locations where firefighting foam has been used are emerging as key sources of PFAS contamination. As investigation and clean-up efforts expand, local authorities are likely to play a central role under Environmental Protection Act 1990 Part 2A in identifying contaminated land and overseeing remediation.

This session will examine PFAS through the lens of Part 2A and explore what this means for councils in practice. It will cover how PFAS fits within existing contaminated land strategies, the triggers for determining contaminated land, available remediation approaches, and the challenges of identifying “appropriate persons” — particularly where historic knowledge of PFAS risks has been limited.

The webinar will also consider the practical and reputational challenges authorities may face, including regulatory responsibilities, remediation notices, and responding to increasing public and media scrutiny.

This webinar will be free for LLG Members to attend & will be hosted on Zoom.

We look forward to seeing you there

Aidan Thomson, Partner

Aidan is an environmental law specialist. He works for clients across many industry sectors, in particular insurance, utilities, real estate, manufacturing, waste management and transport. 

His work across these sectors has exposed him to the full range of environmental liability and compliance issues. He has dealt with land and water contamination, air pollution, impacts to nature, waste management and chemical safety. He is an expert on energy efficiency regulation, especially in buildings, and he has a detailed knowledge of the environmental permitting regime in the context of which many of these issues are embedded. 

Aidan has provided advice in these areas in a number of different contexts, ranging from administrative law challenges, statutory appeal processes, criminal litigation and civil claims for damages on the one hand, to transactional risk management on the other. Aidan has experience of the defence of class actions for environmental harm and of enforcement/prosecution proceedings by a number of environmental regulators.

As well as dealing with traditional environmental liability and compliance issues, Aidan is involved in related areas of ESG, helping clients to manage the risks and opportunities stemming from new laws around climate change, and embed new behaviours internally and externally. 

Aidan has been recommended as a leading environmental law practitioner in the Legal 500 and Chambers directories for over twenty years.

Nick Barker, Principal Associate

Nick is a specialist environmental lawyer, with expertise in environmental compliance, regulatory investigations and enforcement action.

He helps clients understand how environmental regulations impact their business and reviews their compliance arrangements.

Where companies or individuals have fallen short of the required standards, Nick engages with regulators to address instances of non-compliance and, where required, work through enforcement issues. Nick brings practical solutions to this complex area.

Recent experience includes:

  • Defence of investigations led by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Support with pollution incidents; immediate response, required notifications and management of associated liabilities.
  • Requirements of UK waste law.
  • Environmental Permitting requirements.
  • Strategies for the disposal/purchase of contaminated sites and management of associated liabilities.
  • Application of GB and EU REACH requirements, including supply chain analysis.
  • Compliance requirements under WEEE and RoHS.
  • Product stewardship law, including regulatory pipeline scanning.
  • Training delivery for management/compliance teams.

Nick is also a member of the firm’s water group, drawing upon his experience of both environmental and wider water regulatory issues.

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