What’s in the trucks spreading dust everywhere? In Corby, UK, it was toxic waste
Like reclaiming your home from mold, “cleaning up” a toxic waste site is a good thing, that is, unless the work is done improperly. The consequences, then, can be tragic. This was the case in Corby, UK. Corby was a major steel producer that manufactured vast amounts of fuel pipeline for the World War II Allied effort. It continued production until 1980, when the owners closed the huge plant. It left behind 680 acres of furnaces, coke ovens and other facilities, including a lot of toxic waste. Afterwards, the Corby Borough Council undertook “reclamation” of the site for redevelopment from 1984 to 1999.
The toxic waste included soil and sludge that contained heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic, as well as carcinogenic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). The waste was excavated and moved by open trucks across the town, in up to 200 truckloads per day, so that air currents covered the transport route and surrounding areas with thick dust for over a decade.
Between 1989 and 1999, Corby saw a significant increase in birth defects. Eighteen children were affected by upper limb deformities, such as missing fingers and toes, which is a high number for the population of the small town of approximately 60,000 people. This is ten times the number of deformities for a similar size town. A legal case was opened in 1999 by the families of the affected children, which would take 10 years to appear before the High Court in 2009.
According to the lawyer for the plaintiffs, Des Collins, the evidence was very strong against the Corby Council, but he could never be sure if they would win the case, because, in his words, “one of my biggest worries was that even if we had done it properly, the counsel could have said ‘your science and your clinical examination of the issues is not good enough to establish liability.’ “ (The Des Collins interview: part one) Thankfully, they did win the case, because the Council did not take that route, instead insisting that it wasn’t their fault because they had done everything they knew to do, properly. Sadly, that was not even true, because it was discovered that they knew toxic waste was involved but they didn’t comply with several environmental pollution acts in the UK laws (1974 and 1990) in order to cut costs and even pursue conflicts of interest, as many of the work contracts were awarded to friends or former work colleagues of members of the council. (Corby toxic waste case)
The High Court ended up ruling that a combination of heavy metals and carcinogens played a role in the birth defects, and Corby Borough Council was found negligent in its management of toxic waste. (What happened in the toxic town of Corby UK? video) The settlement, 14.6 million GBP, roughly equal to 18.5 million USD, was awarded to the affected individuals and covered legal expenses. Even though the plaintiffs were able to get a settlement, this poisoning is not over. Currently there are a number of residents who are filing cases for their children who were born with cancer, possibly as a result of the toxic waste. Then, there is a mystery connected to where the toxic waste ended up. It was supposed to be transported to Dean Quarry, but in actuality this site was not large enough to hold all of the waste. As of 2025, the Council refuses to answer the question of where they put the excess material. (The Des Collins interview: part two)
The “inspiring true story” is documented in a Netflix film, Toxic Town, as well as a BBC documentary. They highlight the part played by Graham Hind, a newspaper journalist who “put two and two together” when he discovered children displaying similar birth defects in the same community.
This event–a poisoning of a town that was supposed to be “detoxing” and “revitalizing” from the shutdown of an industry, is relevant to us today because it was the first in the world to establish a link between atmospheric toxic waste and birth defects. One expert testimony, in trying to convey the appearance of the minute particles hanging over the town at that time, had described it as an "atmospheric soup of toxic materials". (Corby toxic waste case) The negligence of the Council commissioning and overseeing the project can happen anywhere, as our own Erin Brockovich stated, “The worst sense of security is a false one. It's hard for people to wrap their heads around the idea that those in charge - federal, state and local agencies - might be cheating the system. But, all too often, that is exactly what happens.”
Despite being a huge win for the families involved, Des Collins doesn’t believe that this ruling has helped other similar communities in legal proceedings against wrongdoings regarding toxins. This is because legal action is very expensive, and the only major funding available is by investors in class actions if the evidence is quite convincing with large settlements. He is involved in another case in Motherwell, Scotland where 40 residents are litigating against a housing association that allegedly built homes on toxic land. The case is ongoing since 2012 and the claimants have not won any of the judgments so far. (The Des Collins interview: part two)
What can someone in such a community do? In our estimation, the smartest action would be to be alert to dusty surroundings and health symptoms and protect yourself and your family, even to the extent of moving if the air doesn’t clear up. You can still help the community by lending your voice, but in the case of airborne toxic dust, you’ll have to ensure you still have a voice! This type of poisoning is currently playing out in many cities across the US with regards to lead, which is very poisonous, especially to children. Read our article and be sure to scrutinize your surroundings, because dusty air and “plain ol’ dirt” can be hiding something more, which in truth small particulates are dangerous in and of themselves.
Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash
