BBC investigation into toxic PCB waste dumping

Actor Michael Sheen is collaborating with the BBC on a two-part documentary titled ‘Buried’ (or ‘Buried with Michael Sheen’) to investigate the legacy of toxic chemical waste dumping. The investigation focuses on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), substances banned in the 1980s due to their persistence in the environment and links to cancer.

The documentary examines claims from the late whistleblower Douglas Gowan regarding the dumping of thousands of tonnes of PCBs at approximately 14 sites, including Brofiscin Quarry in South Wales. Gowan, who died in 2018, spent decades alleging that waste from a Monsanto plant in Newport was buried in landfills across South Wales, including Brofiscin Quarry, between 1965 and 1972.

The series features the work of environmental campaigner Reverend Paul Cawthorne, whose research reportedly found ‘dangerously elevated levels’ of PCBs in nine out of ten studied sites. Alongside investigative journalists, Sheen examines the potential leaching of these chemicals into surrounding soil and water through lab testing and interviews with those who believe they have been affected.

The scope of the investigation extends from industrial sites in the United Kingdom, such as Newport and Ruabon, to Anniston, Alabama, where the chemical company Monsanto—which merged with the German firm Bayer in 2018—faced legal action over similar contamination. During the investigation, Sheen underwent blood testing to serve as a control and reported being ‘shocked’ to find PCBs in his own blood.