Senedd backs ‘polluter-pays’ principle for contaminated land

The Senedd has supported calls to implement a ‘polluter-pays’ principle to address the issue of contaminated land in Wales. The motion advocates for a national testing framework to investigate potentially thousands of sites across the country.

Niamh Salkeld, a Plaid Cymru MS, highlighted that toxic substances from historic industrial activities can persist in the ground for generations, posing risks to human health, animal health, and the environment. Research by Friends of the Earth Cymru suggests there may be more than 45,000 potentially contaminated sites in Wales.

The debate emphasized that while responsible companies should contribute to cleanup costs, the UK Government is being urged to introduce a dedicated funding mechanism for historical contamination cases where the original polluters cannot be identified or held accountable.