Goldman Prize Winner Arrested at Dow Chemical Facility During Twenty Fifth Day of Hunger Strike Protest

Diane Wilson arrested at Dow plant during 25th day of hunger strike as activists protest plastic pollution and nuclear plans in Texas.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 27, 2026, 7:12 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Break Free From Plastic

Escalation of Environmental Hunger Strike in Seadrift

The ongoing environmental standoff between local activists and Dow Chemical reached a critical juncture Friday morning. Diane Wilson, a 77 year old fourth generation shrimper and Executive Director of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, was arrested at the Dow Seadrift manufacturing plant. Wilson has reportedly abstained from food for 25 days to protest the facility’s environmental impact on San Antonio Bay. The arrest occurred when she refused to leave the property after attempting to hand deliver a formal demand letter to the site director, insisting on direct communication with corporate leadership.

Coordinated Disruption at Houston Energy Conference

As the arrest unfolded in Seadrift, the protest movement extended into the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. Fellow organizer Dan Lê disrupted a plenary session featuring Dow CEO Jim Fitterling, questioning the executive on his lack of response to Wilson’s weeks long hunger strike. Lê criticized the company for ignoring community voices while expanding petrochemical operations across the Gulf Coast. The disruption highlights a growing rift between the chemical industry’s sustainability narratives and the direct experiences of residents living near manufacturing hubs.

Contested Permits for Plastic Pellet Discharge

The primary driver of the protest involves Dow’s application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to amend its water discharge permit. Currently, the facility is prohibited from releasing more than trace amounts of floating solids, yet activists claim to have collected millions of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, from surrounding waterways. Dow has proposed a permit rewrite that would explicitly allow for the discharge of plastics into the bay without a specified replacement limit. If approved, this would mark the first permit of its kind, potentially setting a significant regulatory precedent for the industry.