Michael Sheen's 'constructive' meeting with first minister over toxic dumping claims

Hollywood actor Michael Sheen held a constructive meeting with First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to discuss claims raised in his BBC documentary about toxic chemical dumping in 14 sites across Wales and England. The actor initially mentioned that an invitation to meet the first minister was not accepted before the documentary aired in August.

However, Sheen confirmed on Thursday that he had met with the First Minister, expressing optimism about future steps to address the issues raised by the documentary. In a post on Instagram, Sheen shared, "I've just come from a meeting with the first minister. Talking about how we can move forward and address all the issues that the documentary raised around the toxic dumping, and that was really constructive."

Early in the process, Sheen had called on UK MPs to support a national testing program for historic toxic dumps, following the discovery of high levels of cancer-causing chemicals, known as PCBs, in soil samples and the blood of individuals living near these sites. The actor had previously interviewed farming consultant Douglas Gowan, who had spent decades warning about the potential risks to communities.

Sheen then collaborated with investigative journalists Lucy Taylor and Dan Ashby, who had accessed all of Gowan's documents and research. Their investigations led to testing at 14 sites, revealing elevated levels of PCBs at all but one location. Susan Smith, who worked at Monsanto in Wrexham for 53 years, shared her concerns after watching the documentary.

She and her husband Geraint, diagnosed with prostate and breast cancer respectively, are questioning the potential impact of the former chemical factory on their health. Despite not being certain of Monsanto's responsibility, the documentary has prompted the couple to join the Monsanto Contamination Action Group, which advocates for those living in Wrexham affected by historic industrial waste dumping.