Why Michael Sheen’s documentary is relevant to our fight to stop a quarry expansion in Denbigh

Lysbeth Mair Jones – SOGS Dinbych/Save our Green Spaces Denbigh

Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling for an independent public inquiry into the scale and impact of contaminated sites in Wales, where old mines, quarries, industrial sites and landfills have left behind long lasting toxic chemicals. When I last looked, over 3000 people had signed the petition demanding action.

Calls for a public inquiry into our toxic legacy have gained momentum following the recent BBC two-part documentary Buried, fronted by Michael Sheen. The programme investigates the dumping of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by the American chemical company Monsanto and highlights the lasting consequences that industrial contamination can have on communities and the environment.

The ‘Buried’ documentary highlights the true extent of contamination in Wales. As long as this problem is not fully understood (or remains hidden) it is a ticking time-bomb for our communities.

I am part of a group called SOGS Dinbych, a group of local people who came together to campaign against the proposed extension of Denbigh Quarry to within 250 metres of their community.

This extension would destroy 5 hectares of best agricultural land close to two SSI woodlands, an area known fondly as Y Crest – this is a beautiful green space, rich in wildlife and loved by the local community.

Yesterday I made myself watch the ‘Buried’ Documentary again but this time with my analytical head in charge.

Soon I realised that the documentary was relevant to our campaign.

First time around, I was absorbed by Michael Sheen’s presence, his emotions and how much I respect him as an activist, a truthteller.  I could not watch the second episode straight away; I needed a 24-hour respite.

It’s obvious from my social circle and from studying social media that ‘Buried’ has created powerful ripples of anger and there is a growing call to action amongst affected communities.

What made me most angry was learning that, even after the dangerous impacts of Monsanto’s toxic chemicals had been acknowledged in the USA, Welsh communities – whose health was already suffering from decades of coal mining and quarrying – were deemed to be suitable dumping grounds for this toxic waste.

It has taken a Welsh Hollywood actor to bring Monsanto’s poisonous legacy in Wales to the attention of the wider public. I am crystal clear that the ‘proper’ heroes in this documentary are ordinary people in the USA and in Wales who have campaigned for years regarding their concerns about the legacy of toxic waste.

Among them are Douglas Gowen, the farming consultant and original whistleblower, Reverend Paul Cawthorne and the two independent Councillors, Jan Jones and Janine Reed. The two Jans, as Michael Sheen calls them, have worked tirelessly to highlight concerns about toxic waste leaks from the council-owned Ty Llwyd Quarry in Ynys Ddu.

These brave women continue to argue that Caerphilly County Borough Council are still not being held accountable, despite years of campaigning on behalf of residents.

Having allowed the documentary to settle, it confirmed my faith in my fellow human beings as it introduces us to ordinary people who take extraordinary actions to challenge the ‘powerful’ and possible institutional ‘cover ups’ in their communities.

When I watched the documentary a second time, it was like a light bulb switching on. I realised the connection with our own campaign to stop the quarry expansion in Denbigh.

Although the council refused planning permission, the company has appealed the decision, and we are now anxiously awaiting the outcome.

Much of the material used to fill quarries in the UK comes from construction and demolition sites. The sheer volume of material involved, and the practical limitations of testing mean there is a risk that contaminated waste could find its way into the mix.

SOGS Dinbych has expressed concerns about the intention of the Breedon Group, to use ‘inert waste’ and not naturally sourced fill materials to ‘restore’ the quarry here in Denbigh, should they win the appeal.

In his witness statement to the appeal hearing at Denbigh Town Hall in August 2025, Steven Pearce (a SOGS member and Principal Geoscientist with more than 20 years of experience in mine site geochemistry, waste management and contaminated land) warned that the Breedon Group had failed to identify a credible source for the 1.5 million tonnes of materials required by the restoration plan.

Steven Pearce cited publicly available information, indicating that the sources of fill material referenced by Breedon in their submission are highly unlikely to be viable or sourced at sufficient volumes.

In our opinion, local people deserve to know exactly what is being deposited in a quarry, where it is coming from, and have robust assurances that any materials that are used to fill the void will not affect our health.

And given growing concerns about illegal waste disposal and fly-tipping, we also need to be reassured robust safeguards are in place to prevent waste from being dumped unnoticed and without proper oversight.

This is particularly important considering the pressures facing Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

NRW is responsible for identifying and responding to illegal waste activity in Wales, but there are growing concerns about whether it has the resources to do that job effectively.

Last year in May 2025, the previous Senedd’s Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee shared their grave concerns about NRW’s proposals to focus on large environmental incidents and adopt a higher tolerance of risk when managing reports of pollution.

The committee chair at that time was Llyr Gruffydd, who is now Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability.

In May he reflected that, ‘Recent decisions made by NRW are deeply troubling and raise questions about the future of environmental stewardship in Wales. NRW’s approach, a consequence of years of inadequate funding in the regulator, is gravely concerning. It leaves Wales vulnerable to environmental damage and fails to honour the values that should guide such a body’.

‘Buried’ has shown us all what happens when these issues go unmanaged for decades!

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