Chemicals PFAS occupies the St. Gallen cantonal council

Eight motions on the subject of PFAS have been submitted to the St. Gallen Cantonal Council so far. There are numerous unanswered questions about the problematic chemical. However, it is still too early for some of the answers.

Only two of these eight motions have already been answered. They were declared urgent in the September session. The vast majority of soils in the canton are not contaminated with PFAS, said Susanne Hartmann (center), Head of the Building and Environment Department, in the Council on Wednesday. "We know roughly where the contaminated areas are."

So far, 26 farms have been affected by measures and have been given recommendations. Nine farms with contaminated meat have now been ordered to "initiate reduction measures", as stated in the response to the SVP's urgent proposal.

These "reduction measures" include the fact that the animals may only be watered via the public drinking water supply. The extent to which feed plays a role is still unclear. Further tests, for example on animal feed or liquid manure, are currently being examined, the government wrote.

The difficulties include the lack of limit values. Since August 1, there has been such a value for meat. If this limit had not been adopted by the EU, we would not have the problem, said an SVP representative in the Council.

In the case of milk, only a non-binding qualitative EU guideline value exists to date. According to the information provided, the federal government is planning to adopt a maximum value envisaged by the EU for 2026. No such limits are yet foreseeable for fruit, vegetables and arable farming.

Financial support planned

Financial aid for farmers is a major topic. The government will draw up a bill to support hardship cases. A preliminary advisory committee has already been appointed for this matter.

Another topic is the cause of soil contamination by PFAS. In a motion, the SP-Green-GLP parliamentary group calls for the spreading of sewage sludge in the canton of St. Gallen to be investigated and the perpetrators of the problem to be named.

"Do operators of wastewater treatment plants who have supplied sewage sludge as fertilizer for farmers have to reckon with subsequent cost consequences or claims for compensation?" states a motion by Christof Züger and Peter Nüesch, President of the St. Gallen Farmers' Association, which has not yet been answered.

Government Councillor Hartmann stated in the Council on Wednesday that soils contaminated with PFAS are not just a St. Gallen problem, but a global one.