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MPs Call for Urgent Action on Contaminated Land in Wales Following Michael Sheen’s Testimony
Wales – The Welsh Affairs Committee has expressed significant concern regarding contaminated land in Wales following recent testimonies from actor Michael Sheen. Sheen appeared before the committee on September 10 to discuss revelations shared in his BBC series, “Buried with Michael Sheen,” which investigates allegations of chemical contamination across Wales.
The committee has written to the Secretary of State for Wales, Stephen Kinnock, urging him to conduct tests on former industrial sites and for those residing in close proximity to these areas to evaluate potential health risks associated with contamination. The MPs highlighted that contamination in former industrial locales has been “neglected for too long” and labelled the government’s current approach as “siloed, underfunded and incomplete.”
During the session, Sheen presented findings that suggest harmful contamination extends beyond historical industrial sites, such as coal and metal mines, to more recent pollutants, including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), which are often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their prolonged environmental persistence.
Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, reiterated the importance of addressing contamination concerns, stating that communities near these sites have been overlooked regarding testing, causing legitimate fears about the environmental and health impacts. Jones called for better coordination between the UK Government and the Welsh Government to tackle the issue effectively.
The committee’s outreach to the Secretary of State follows previous correspondence dating back to July, in which they requested a unified four-nation strategy for testing areas with historical industrial activity.
Michael Sheen’s involvement in this issue is personal; he had previously interacted with whistleblower Douglas Gowan, who alleged that toxic chemicals had contaminated the Welsh environment. Gowan contended that large quantities of PCBs were improperly disposed of throughout Wales and north-west England. These chemicals, once considered revolutionary for their durability, are now classified as Group 1 carcinogens and are banned worldwide.
Gowan dedicated over five decades to raising awareness about the dangers posed by chemical dumping. After the whistleblower’s passing, Sheen collaborated with investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor to produce the ongoing series, which first aired on August 17.
The Welsh Affairs Committee continues to seek government action to safeguard communities from the potential threats posed by contaminated land.
