Investigations by the BBC have revealed that in the United Kingdom, there are thousands of high-risk toxic sites that remain unchecked because of a massive shortfall in funding. The BBC’s investigation report stated only 1,465 of 13,093 potentially toxic sites identified by councils have ever been inspected.
This means that more than 11,000 high-risk sites contaminated by lead, arsenic and other dangerous chemicals have yet to be checked. Councils across Wales, Scotland and England have cited cash shortages and a lack of specialist resources as the main reason for this shortfall.
The Environmental Protection Act states local authorities have to inspect and remediate contaminated land. However, budget cuts and the withdrawal of central government grants have forced many councils into stopping routine checks. Health dangers indeed do exist for those vulnerable people.
In particular it has been described as “almost criminal” in terms of the potential long-term health effects of chronic exposure to toxins such as lead. The opposition argues that without adequate resources, public health is left vulnerable and the country will never begin to face up to the legacy of heavy industry.
The study follows the premiere of the new Netflix movie Toxic Town which follows families as they struggle for justice in the wake of one of the largest environmental crises in the UK.
What more toxicity remains of the UK’s heavy industrial past beneath our feet? becomes a new topic brought up by the BBC’s this particular discovery.
