Arabic version: شين يبحث مخاوف إلقاء المواد الكيميائية في ويلز
According to BBC News, Michael Sheen has continued an investigation into concerns over chemical dumping at sites in Wales in a new BBC iPlayer documentary. The programme follows the work of Douglas Gowan, a researcher and whistleblower who raised concerns about 14 sites, 12 of them in Wales, before his death.
Gowan alleged that Monsanto had dumped large quantities of industrial chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), around Wales. PCBs were used in products including plastics, paint and electrical equipment before bans were introduced from the 1970s following concerns about their toxicity. The chemicals can persist in the environment and may leach from landfill into waterways. Eastman Chemical Company, which is responsible for Monsanto’s legacy production in the UK, did not respond to requests for comment from Sheen’s team or the BBC.
Michael Phillips recalled playing as a child at a lagoon at Llwyneinion near Ruabon in Wrexham, where a fire in the 1980s took 60 firefighters more than 18 hours to control. He and several friends later developed rare cancers, which they believe may be linked to exposure at the site. Phillips said blood tests showed higher-than-average PCB levels. Sheen’s own test found 81 different types of PCBs, despite his saying he had not lived near dump sites.
Wrexham council said later investigations and risk assessments found contaminants at the site but concluded it did not meet the legal threshold requiring remediation. Natural Resources Wales’ investigation work also found Llwyneinion did not meet the legal definition of contaminated land. The Welsh government said contaminated land was a key priority and said a 2015 survey identified more than 9,000 potential sites requiring further investigation. Sheen and his team presented findings to Wales’ Parliament, while members of the documentary team are due to appear before the Welsh Affairs Committee. Buried with Michael Sheen is scheduled for BBC Two, BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer from 17 August at 21:00 BST.
