Toxic Land and Public Health in Modern Britain

wish to conduct archival research on the toxic legacy of weapons manufacture in the UK. My goal is understand not only the past ecological and public-health consequences of the production of conventional and non-conventional weapons, but also the long-term consequences in terms of contaminated land and water. One of the most important archival collections that I propose to examine is that of Environmental Protection UK, which was acquired by the Wellcome Library in 2012. For over a century Environmental Protection UK and its predecessors played an extremely important role in studying environmental problems; providing a forum for communication between citizens, scientific experts, and officials; and shaping both public opinion and governmental policy. At the Museum of English Rural Life I will consult the papers of the Council for the Protection of Rural England. specifically its records related to toxic and industrial wastes. Finally, at the University of Essex I will study the papers and correspondence of Sir Frederick Warner, FRS (1910-2010),