Diane Wilson, Shrimp Boat Captain and Author
Against all odds, Shrimper Diane Wilson fought for five years to halt chemical discharges into the air and the bays of her Gulf Coast home. After learning that Seadrift ranked No. 1 nationally for pollution, she began investigating and realized that discharges from Formosa Plastics and other heavy industry were causing the slow death of Lavaca Bay and nearby waters as well as plant employees and neighbors. With one true friend, one pro bono lawyer and one environmental organizer, Diane taught herself permitting law and relied on creative tactics and relentless attack to defeat her well-heeled opponents.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
In “An Unreasonable Woman,” fourth genera-tion shrimp boat captain Diane Wilson tells the story of her clash with industrial polluters who were destroying her home-town of Seadrift, Texas, while complicit federal and state officials looked the other way.
Photo by Kate McConnico, The Texas Observer
