Michael Sheen is set to investigate claims of chemical contamination across Wales in a new two-part BBC documentary.
Buried with Michael Sheen will see the Welsh actor explore claims surrounding the dumping of toxic industrial chemicals and the potential legacy left behind in communities across Wales and the wider UK.
The series will air on BBC Two, BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer from Monday 17 August at 9pm.
For Sheen, the investigation has a personal connection dating back almost a decade, when he met farming consultant and whistleblower Douglas Gowan.
Gowan claimed that people in Wales had been poisoned through decades of exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment.
He believed thousands of tonnes of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, known as PCBs, had been dumped at sites across Wales and north west England.
Often described as the “godfather of forever chemicals”, PCBs were once regarded as a wonder chemical because of their resistance to breaking down. They are now officially designated as a Group 1 carcinogen and are banned globally.
Gowan spent more than 50 years attempting to raise awareness about the dangers he believed were associated with chemical dumping.
Unable to let go of the story, Sheen eventually tracked Gowan down and spent two days filming an interview with him.
During the interview, Gowan described a lifetime spent battling corporations, government and local councils. He claimed Monsanto, once the world’s leading producer of PCBs, had knowingly buried highly toxic waste in communities across Wales and that the consequences were still being felt.
Gowan died two months after the interview, leaving Sheen with his story.
Across the two episodes, Sheen is joined by investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor as they retrace Gowan’s footsteps.
The investigation sees them work alongside environmental experts and forensic scientists, as well as speaking to residents living near toxic dump sites.
The series explores allegations of conspiracy and cover-ups while also looking at the experiences of ordinary people attempting to challenge those in positions of power.
Buried with Michael Sheen is a BBC Factual and BBC Cymru Wales co-commission for BBC Two, BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer.
It has been produced in partnership with the Open University and co-produced by Wall to Wall and Smoke Trail Productions.
Buried with Michael Sheen begins on Monday 17 August at 9pm on BBC Two, BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer.
