Actor Michael Sheen is set to testify before UK Members of Parliament (MPs) as part of an ongoing inquiry into allegations of environmental contamination across Wales. His involvement stems from a BBC documentary titled Buried with Michael Sheen, which aired last month. The series explored claims made by Douglas Gowan, a whistleblower who alleged that exposure to hazardous industrial chemicals had harmed members of the public over several decades. Sheen, along with investigative journalists Lucy Taylor and Dan Ashby, will present the documentary's findings to the Welsh Affairs Committee on Thursday. At the heart of the series were allegations by Mr. Gowan that thousands of tonnes of toxic industrial chemicals—specifically, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—had been dumped at various locations in Wales and north-west England. PCBs are synthetic compounds once widely used in electrical equipment but later banned due to their harmful effects on human health and the environment. Sheen, who grew up in Port Talbot, South Wales, interviewed Mr. Gowan shortly before the whistleblower’s death in 2018. These interviews, along with footage of Sheen meeting affected community members, forensic scientists, and environmental experts, formed the core of the documentary. During the inquiry, Sheen and his co-presenters are expected to discuss potential policy and legislative reforms that could better protect communities living near former industrial sites. In a July Q&A about the documentary, Sheen expressed hope that the series would prompt meaningful action. He emphasized the need for accountability, stating that those responsible for the contamination often avoid responsibility by dissolving their companies into new entities, making it difficult to hold them accountable. Sheen argued that the burden of addressing these environmental issues should not fall solely on the affected communities and individuals fighting for justice. He called for an international approach to tackle such problems, saying that without it, the pressure on small communities and individuals would remain too great. His testimony before MPs is seen as a key step in bringing attention to these long-standing environmental concerns.