Trial of Mt. Shasta's feline fiberglass foe set to begin

July, 2003 update

29-year-old Celeste Draisner of Shasta County, California will stand trial this month for her efforts to stop a fiberglass factory from spewing its pollution all over her friends, her neighbors and her community.  The event occurred on Jan. 30, 2002, when Draisner climbed Knauf Fiberglass' massive smokestack wearing nothing more than a skin-tight catwoman suit.  She remained perched more than 100 feet up on the catwalk, braving freezing temperatures, for some seven hours.  Draisner's high-elevation escapade spurred vast media coverage, breathing life into the community's long-running struggle against the plant.  

See the picture.

Draisner is charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.  However, Knauf, a German-based multinational corporation, later filed civil charges against Draisner, claiming her protest caused $90,528 in economic damages, even though the factory wasn't open yet. Her criminal trial will occur first.

Draisner's trial was delayed, yet again, when on the morning of the jury selection process, workers at a nearby construction project broke a water main supplying the courthouse.  Draisner showed up for the trail wearing her full cat gear, but the judge indicated that even though he does not understand the cat-connection to the alleged crime, he would allow her to continue wear the outfit.

City leaders in Shasta Lake, California, rolled out the red carpet for Knauf Fiberglass, claiming it would bring much-needed jobs to their economically sluggish area.  But not all local residents were thrilled.

Draisner's efforts capped years of protest by local residents who are concerned with the tons of particulates and pollutants which the Knauf factory will dump into their end of the Sacramento Valley, which is ringed with high mountains and already suffers from poor air quality.  

In order to allow the plant to be built, local leaders actually lowered air quality regulations, and later concocted an unusual scheme to provide water to the factory without triggering a federal environmental review.

Draisner's attorney, Eric Berg, said the civil suit was meant to scare off other would-be activists.

"It's typical of big polluters to file lawsuits against citizens who protest against them in order to intimidate them and frighten them into silence and submission," Berg said.

But Draisner is no scaredy-cat.  She plans to scratch and claw at Knauf until they find another litter box to despoil.

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