Ben Blackall/Netflix
Netflix’s new limited seriesToxic Towntells the shocking story ofpoisonous pollution, an alleged town cover-up and a group of mothers’ fight for justice.
The families of the affected children, with the aid of civil litigator Des Collins, spent more than 10 years seeking answers and justice from their local town council — which was accused of “environmental negligence on a grand scale,” perThe Independent.
The landmark case is considered the “BritishErin Brockovich” — drawing parallels to the 1996 class action settlement awarded to the residents of Hinkley, Calif., who suffered from cancers and other unexplained illnesses as a result of utility company PG&E poisoning their water supply. The case was depicted in the 2000 movieErin Brockovichand earnedJulia Robertsan Academy Award for her performance.
Here is everything to know about the true story behindToxic Town.
Katie Collins/PA Images via Getty
Who made the connection between the steel plant and the babies' limb differences?
Oli Scarff/Getty
“All our children had the same kind of upper-limb defects at the same time,” Nathwani told the outlet. “Surely there has to be a reason for that.”
Who is Des Collins?
Des Collins, Rory Kinnear as Des in Toxic Town.Oli Scarff/Getty; Ben Blackall/Netflix
Oli Scarff/Getty; Ben Blackall/Netflix
Thorpe, McIntyre, Shatford and Nathwani, along with additional mothers of children born with limb abnormalities and other birth defects, turned to civil litigator Des Collins to help them uncover the truth — and get justice for their children.
Collins and the eight families he initially represented spent six years gathering evidence to support their case, including obtaining reports from environmental experts and doctors.
Rory Kinnear as Des, Lauren Lyle as Dani in Episode 3 of Toxic Town.Ben Blackall/Netflix
The children all had a variety of birth defects, including missing or underdeveloped fingers, clubbed feet, heart defects, eye problems and skin conditions, perThe Times.
He continued, “They allege that the disabilities were caused when their mothers ingested or inhaled toxic substances released from the council’s works which affected the development of their limbs while they were still in the womb.”
The town council maintained its innocence, however, denying there was any link between the waste materials and the birth defects and refuting claims of negligence during the reclamation project.
Mallander also stated that the council had “provided detailed evidence to prove the clear-up of contaminated land was carried out safely and thoroughly,” according toThe Guardian.
The judge also ruled that 16 of the 18 claimants could seek compensation from the town council. (The judge found no evidence of negligence after August 1997, eliminating the two youngest claimants.)
“It’s the first time they have said sorry,” Louise Carley, the mother of an affected child, told the outlet. “That means more than anything. It’s the fact it’s not my fault any more. That’s what puts closure on it.”
Where is Des Collins now?
Since then, he’s continued to take on high profile injury cases — including the U.K.’s Buncefield oil depot explosion, in which he and his firm represented 250 families seeking compensation after the blast.
Many contracted HIV and hepatitis C as a result,The Lawyerreported. Collins worked to shed light on decades of alleged cover-up and seek long-awaited justice and compensation for the victims, which he achieved in the summer of 2024, according toCanadian Lawyer.
source: people.com
