Michael Sheen’s BBC documentary Buried has exposed a decades-long toxic waste crisis in the UK, revealing 14 sites in Wales and 12 others in the country, with experts estimating up to 20,000 high-concern locations nationwide. The investigation, spotlighting industrial chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), highlights decades of environmental neglect and health risks.
A former Monsanto worker, Stephen Constance, described working with “cheap” protective gear in the 1990s, handling toxic waste without full knowledge of its contents. He later developed follicular lymphoma and expressed lingering concerns about his exposure. In terms of what we knew was there and what we were potentially exposed to, no,
Constance said. The documentary also cites a 1972 memo showing Monsanto knew PCBs posed health risks but continued operations in the UK, where the government allowed unrestricted imports.
Toxic waste sites exposed in Michael Sheen documentary 'tip
Dr David Megson, a reader in chemistry and environmental forensics at Manchester Metropolitan University, emphasized the urgency of the crisis. The country is in a really dire place,
he said, adding that public pressure is the only force capable of driving action. His research, featured in the documentary, found that many contaminated sites do not meet legal remediation thresholds, leaving them untouched despite long-term risks.
The documentary also details the legacy of Douglas Gowan, a whistleblower who warned of 14 toxic sites, 12 in Wales, before his death. His claims, echoed by actor Michael Sheen, allege Monsanto dumped huge amounts of industrial chemicals
in the region. Gowan described PCBs as some of the worst contaminants known to man,
noting their persistence in the environment. This stuff builds up in the environment, builds up in animals and fish, and it builds up in us,
he said.
What he told me made my blood run cold
Residents like Michael Phillips, who played near a contaminated lagoon in the 1980s, now face rare cancers linked to the site. The actor also had his own blood tested, finding 81 types of PCBs despite no direct exposure to dump sites.
Cleanup efforts have faced delays. Ralph Davies, a remediation expert, proposed solutions for an acid tar lagoon in 2007 but received no response from Wrexham council. A 2006 report confirmed the site’s contamination since 1979, yet it remains unaddressed. The fact it is still there, untouched, is mind blowing,
Davies said.
