Welsh Affairs Committee demands testing for toxic waste sites

The chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee has criticized the Secretary of State for Wales, Stephen Kinnock, describing his response to historic industrial waste dumping as ‘disappointing’. The committee has formally requested immediate testing at suspected dump sites across Wrexham and South Wales following testimony from actor Michael Sheen and environmental journalists.

The demand follows the BBC documentary ‘Buried’, which investigated the dumping of ‘forever chemicals’, specifically polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), primarily by Monsanto. These substances are classified as carcinogens that accumulate in the body. The controversy centers on communities such as Ruabon, Cefn Mawr, Acrefair, and Llwyneinion.

The committee urged the government to collaborate with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to lead a more ambitious program, noting that current efforts regarding contamination and remediation are ‘siloed, underfunded and incomplete’. While the Monsanto Contamination Action Group (MCAG) welcomed the committee’s letter, they requested further clarity on whether testing would encompass both land and human health.