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5 clusters · 10 sources · 36 days · First seen · Last updated

BBC investigation into toxic PCB waste dumping

Overview

Actor Michael Sheen is collaborating with the BBC on a two-part documentary titled ‘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. Newer findings from the investigation include testimony from former worker Stephen Constance, who reported that staff in the 1990s used inadequate protective equipment and were not informed of the specific hazards of the materials being buried. Scientist Dr. David Megson, involved in the investigation, suggested the 14 identified sites may represent only the ‘tip of the iceberg’, estimating there are approximately 20,000 high-concern sites across the UK that may be leaking a ‘chemical cocktail’.

Entities

Monsanto · Michael Sheen · Douglas Gowan · BBC · Wales

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Welsh Affairs Committee demands testing for toxic waste sites

    The Welsh Affairs Select Committee has demanded immediate testing of suspected toxic waste dump sites in Wales following concerns over historic ‘forever chemical’ dumping by Monsanto.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Toxic waste legacy in Wales exposed by Michael Sheen documentary

    A BBC documentary reveals significant toxic waste contamination in Wales linked to Monsanto, with experts warning that identified sites are only a fraction of thousands of high-concern locations in the UK.

  3. [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Michael Sheen investigates toxic chemical dumping in Wales

    Michael Sheen investigates the historical dumping of toxic PCBs in South Wales quarries in the documentary series ‘Buried’, based on the work of whistleblower Douglas Gowan.

  4. [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Michael Sheen investigates toxic chemical waste legacy in new BBC documentary

    Michael Sheen stars in the BBC documentary ‘Buried’, investigating the toxic legacy of PCB chemical dumping by Monsanto in the UK and the US.

  5. [INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
    Michael Sheen finds toxic PCBs in blood during Wales investigation

    Actor Michael Sheen discovered toxic PCBs in his blood while filming a BBC documentary investigating historic chemical dumping sites in Wales and North West England.

Sources

ca.sports.yahoo.com · digitalspy.com · guardianweekly.co.uk · independent.co.uk · memesita.com · nation.cymru · newsimg.bbc.co.uk · time.news · tvzoneuk.com · wrexham.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history