Ultimately, Corby Borough Council was found liable in negligence, public nuisance and a breach of statutory duty for its clean-up of toxic waste, originating from a reclaimed steelworks.
“These lionesses were incredible,” said Whittaker, in an interview with Radio Times. “They had their cubs in their mouths, and however long it took, they carried them to the finish line.
“They weren’t lawyers but they knew that they were right. Had the council been the ones fighting for justice, they might have had a bigger headline.”
The actor went on to warn that, years after the legal proceedings against Corby Borough Council, which ended with a settlement and apology for “mistakes” made, more concerning incidents have been reported which could yet pose serious problems.
“A story is never finished if it’s still having an impact,” continued Whittaker. “Lessons haven’t been learnt, unfortunately – water companies are being fined for dumping sewage and major buildings and housing projects have been built over reclamation sites.
“You hope the containment is there, but we have no sense of whether there’s going to be a disaster down the line.”
Whittaker added that she hopes Toxic Town will show the people in Susan’s life – and indeed, the wider public – “what she went through” and “shine a light on the fight, and her grace and integrity”.
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Toxic Town premieres on Netflix on Thursday 27th February 2025.
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