EBLC met on February 18 at the Texana Room in the Farquhar Building. Before the meeting members met to eat and visit at Shiloh’s Kitchen.
President Carolyn Strnadel introduced Diane Wilson, a prominent local environmental activist and fourth generation fisherwoman. She revealed her path toward actual protesting against pollution, especially by large industries. A native of Seadrift, TX, Wilson has worked for 37 years in the shrimping/fishing field. In August of 1989 a fellow shrimper gave her an Associated Press article on the toxic release inventory, a commentary on the community’s right to know about what harm is being inflicted through pollution.
At that point in time Calhoun County was listed as #1 in the nation for industrial pollution, due early on by Alcoa.
Wilson’s lifelong activism began with a request for a meeting with Seadrift’s city council which was refused – she became a “red flag” that they didn’t want waved.
Even a local bank president came to her place of employment to ask, “Are you starting a vigilante group to ruin industry in the county?” These experiences launched her into a lifelong era of “Civil Disobedience”.
Her initial action was a two-week long hunger strike to get what she desired; it worked. A lawsuit ensued and ultimately, she gained power to fight contamination of the water and estuaries by plants such as Alcoa, Dow, and Formosa. Today Dow wants to bring in nuclear reactors, so she is still fighting. In Jackson County there is a desire to build two reservoirs for plant use and also an ammonia plant is on the drawing board. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality design regulations on water use, but they want no problems so industry will come to the area. Water availability is high priority but is also always political.
Now 30 plus years later Diane Wilson states her reputation is ruined, but she has seen that she “can’t be a reasonable woman – she made the world react to her.”
Along the way she collected samples, put together a clean water suit, and through the Texas Rio Grand Legal Aid took on cases against Formosa and won $50 million that funded fisherman cooperatives which created Oyster farms, environmental camps for educating children, erosion prevention techniques and plastic emission tracking.
The mission fighting water contamination continues to be on-going, but she has also written several books based on her quest for the protection of the environment. These include the following: An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story, Holy Roller, and Diary of an Eco-Outline.
After the program President Carolyn called the business meeting to order. Trivia Night plans are underway. The date of the event is MARCH 27, 2026. Bingo will be on June 11, 2026.
Diann Walleck announced that the organization has been invited to participate in the 1st Annual Child Abuse Awareness Sound Off around the courthouse square. “Together we will bring awareness to the children and families in Jackson County impacted by child abuse by sounding off sirens in solidarity.” This will be on April 1, 2026, at noon.
