Image
Services
Flemish Government
PFAS
In June 2021, during the height of the COVID lockdown, RCA PR received a call from the Flemish government: would we support the newly appointed ‘PFAS Commissioner’? Just weeks earlier, excavation work for the Oosterweel construction project had revealed that the soil near Zwijndrecht was severely contaminated. The ground was full of PFOS — a chemical substance used, among other things, to make products resistant to dirt and water. A substance with an extremely long half-life that, in plain language, will remain in the soil forever and won’t simply disappear. Due to the high concentrations, PFOS was also found in the bodies of local residents and is linked to a wide range of health issues. The root of the problem: the 3M plant, the largest producer of PFOS and other similar substances from the PFAS family.
In the months and years that followed, one of our senior consultants became the PFAS Commissioner’s right-hand person. He closely supported all (crisis) communication efforts, provided broad PR assistance, gave media training, contributed to the drafting of various reports, and was actively involved in consultations with government bodies, local residents, action groups, and other stakeholders.
At the same time, he led a communications task force that included communication officers or spokespersons from the relevant Flemish government organizations such as OVAM and VMM, as well as various Flemish departments and agencies.
We also produced a podcast in which we, alongside various national and international experts, took a deep dive into the PFAS crisis.
At the end of 2023, after the PFAS Commissioner’s mandate concluded — and once the crisis atmosphere had subsided — the Flemish government appointed a PFAS Coordinator (a member of the Flemish administration responsible for continuing the project). We continued to work with him, fulfilling the same role.
Get in touch
Want to know more? Don’t hesitate. Let’s get in touch.
