Hollywood actor Michael Sheen recently met with Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to discuss concerns raised in his BBC documentary, Buried, which investigates alleged toxic chemical dumping at 14 sites across Wales and England. The documentary highlights the presence of harmful substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are known to cause cancer and have no safe level of exposure. Sheen initially said the first minister had not accepted an offer to meet before the documentary aired in August, but on Thursday, he confirmed a constructive discussion had taken place, focusing on next steps to address the issues raised. In the UK Parliament last week, Sheen called on members of Parliament to support a national testing program to assess the safety of historic toxic dump sites. This comes after the discovery of high levels of PCBs in soil samples and in the blood of residents living near sites linked to the chemical company Monsanto. Sheen’s documentary was partly inspired by the work of Douglas Gowan, a farming consultant and campaigner who raised alarms about the risks posed by toxic chemicals. Gowan died shortly after the documentary was filmed, and his research was later taken up by investigative journalists Lucy Taylor and Dan Ashby, who tested 13 of the 14 sites and found elevated PCB levels at all but one. Susan Smith, a former employee of Monsanto’s Wrexham plant, said the documentary has changed how she views her decades-long connection to the factory. She and her husband, Geraint, have lived near the decommissioned Ruabon chemical works for 53 years. Geraint was diagnosed with prostate cancer 13 years ago and later developed skin cancer, while Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer at 38. Although they are not sure if Monsanto is directly responsible for their illnesses, the documentary has made them question the potential impact of the factory on their health. Susan worked at Monsanto as a secretary in the 1980s and described the working conditions as unsafe. She said she was not given safety training or protective gear and that the office was constantly exposed to dust and powders from nearby operations. After her blood was tested by the documentary team, Susan expressed concern over the lack of accountability from Eastman, the current owner of the former Monsanto site. The couple have since joined the Monsanto Contamination Action Group, which supports residents in Wrexham affected by industrial waste. Eastman has not yet commented on the situation.