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Toxic Waste Secrets: Ex-Worker Speaks Out
25 Aug
Summary
- Former worker alleges inadequate protective gear at toxic waste site.
- 20,000 high-concern toxic waste sites identified across the UK.
- PCBs, banned industrial chemicals, were widely dumped and used.
A former employee of Monsanto has broken his silence about the company's operations at its Newport factory during the 1990s. Stephen Constance, who worked for three years sealing toxic waste underground, stated that staff were provided with "cheap" protective equipment and were not informed about the nature of the materials they were handling. His testimony emerged following a BBC documentary, "Buried with Michael Sheen," which explored the United Kingdom's legacy of toxic waste.
Dr. David Megson, a scientist involved in the documentary, indicated that the 14 sites mentioned in the program represent only a fraction of the issue, with an estimated 20,000 high-concern sites across the UK. Eastman Chemical Company, which now manages Monsanto's former UK production responsibilities, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Constance is among numerous individuals who have come forward after the documentary's focus on Monsanto and the dumping of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs are described by researcher and whistleblower Douglas Gowan as "some of the worst contaminants known to man." These chemicals saw widespread use throughout the 20th century, even in products like lipstick, before being banned in the UK during the 1970s and subsequently by 151 countries worldwide.
