What he told me made my blood run cold - Michael Sheen investigates Wales' toxic legacy

Actor Michael Sheen investigates the long-term environmental and health impacts of toxic chemical dumping in Wales. The documentary highlights the legacy of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the efforts of a whistleblower to expose the contamination.
Why it matters
It raises awareness about the persistent nature of 'forever chemicals' and the potential public health crises caused by historical industrial negligence.
Image source, Wall to Wall Media Image caption, Michael Sheen investigates Wales' toxic legacy in a new BBC iPlayer documentary
Michael Phillips spent his childhood in the 1980s playing with friends at a lagoon, firing air guns at rusty barrels that released clouds of coloured powder - completely oblivious to the toxic chemicals within.
Decades later, several of those friends and Phillips himself have developed rare cancers, which they believe may be linked to this.
Researcher and whistleblower Douglas Gowan tried to sound the alarm about 14 such sites - 12 of which were in Wales - but died before his warnings were heeded.
"What he told me made my blood run cold," said Hollywood actor Michael Sheen, who spoke to Gowan just months before he died and has now continued his investigation in a new BBC iPlayer documentary.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in