Greens accuse Salzburg state of lax response to PFAS pesticides

Salzburg’s Green Party says the state is doing too little to ban or reduce pesticides containing PFAS, after groundwater readings at several monitoring stations raised concern. The party has submitted a parliamentary question to state agriculture councillor Maximilian Aigner, ORF reported.

In the lower Salzach valley, the measured level of trifluoroacetate, a salt or ester of trifluoroacetic acid and one of the chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” doubled at a groundwater station over five years. In Wals-Siezenheim, the current groundwater level is four times the reading in the Salzach valley, the Greens said.

Green Party parliamentary group leader Martina Berthold accused Aigner of being too lax in implementing Austria’s action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides. She said PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems, and called for Salzburg to demand a binding plan to phase out pesticides containing PFAS.

Berthold also criticised the draft national pesticide action plan for lacking binding reduction targets for highly contaminated pesticides and measures to support affected farmers. The plan is due to take effect next year.