Citizen Monitoring for Microplastics on Texas Gulf CoastCitizen Science in Environmental Monitoring
Oral Presentation
Prepared by D. Wilson
San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, 600 Ramona Rd, Seadrift, TX, 77983-4203, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 361-218-2353
ABSTRACT
In 2016, Wilson and a small group of former workers and whistle blowers from Formosa Plastics, Point Comfort, Texas started collecting samples of plastic pollution (PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene power and pellets) from a 20-mile area of Lavaca Bay and surrounding waterways on the Texas Gulf Coast. Within a 4-year period they collected over 2500 samples and 6000 videos and photos of plastic pollution coming from Formosa Plastics' outfalls. In 2017, they used the evidence in a citizens Clean Water suit and won a 50M $ settlement.
