Through her own research, Dr. Subra has discovered layers of con tamination 6' deep near certain oil refineries and is attempting to bring them to justice. More vigilante tactics have been used by Diane Wilson, a commercial fisherwoman and activist from the coast of Texas. Diane has gone on three separate hunger strikes and has tried to sink her 42' boat to protest industrial pollution which is threatening the shrimp harvest in the Gulf of Mexico. Half of them never matured. The proactive proposal would allow the Port Authority to level the uneven bottoms of 19 selected berths.
Leveling is a relatively simple technique which works like a giant rake.
A tug boat is used to pull a steel bar across an uneven bottom, pushing sediment in mound areas to lower areas, reducing the amount of sediment in berthing areas. The Port Authority estimates that leveling will lower the 1'-3' mounds of sediments that are hampering navigation in berthing spots. This process results in a redistribution of 20,000 cubic yards of sediment without using the Mud Dump Site. If this project proves satisfactory, the Port Authority will re-apply for a similar permit for every berth, as needed. COA will seek to insure that the Port Authority will use silk curtains and other methods to prevent the resuspension of contaminated sediments.