82R32439 JEN-D
By: Deshotel H.R. No. 2807
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Hilton Kelley of Port Arthur has been named a
recipient of the 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize, an
accomplishment that is truly worthy of celebration; and
WHEREAS, Created in 1990 by Richard and Rhoda Goldman, the
Goldman Environmental Prize honors individuals from around the
world who are working at the local level to protect and enhance the
natural environment; through their grassroots efforts, these
community leaders have helped to empower their fellow citizens and
have inspired many to stand up for their rights; the prize is
awarded annually in April to one individual from each of Africa,
Asia, Europe, North America, South and Central America, and the
islands and island nations; in addition to providing the recipients
with international recognition for their causes, the prize includes
financial support of $150,000 to assist them in pursuing their
work, making this the world's largest award honoring grassroots
environmentalists; and
WHEREAS, Hilton Kelley was recognized with this prestigious
accolade for his efforts to fight pollution in his community and to
secure environmental justice for residents along the Texas Gulf
Coast; a Port Arthur native, Mr. Kelley was raised in the city's
West Side, a predominately African American neighborhood that has
long stood in the shadow of the area's many oil refineries and
chemical plants; after graduating from high school he enlisted in
the U.S. Navy; his service took him to the San Francisco Bay area,
where he remained after his discharge from the navy as a petty
officer second class; based in Oakland, California, he found work
as an actor and stuntman in television and the movies and was
admitted to the Screen Actors Guild in 1991; he also served his
community as a youth activist and helped lead efforts to end gang
violence; and
WHEREAS, On a visit to his hometown in 2000, Mr. Kelley found
his former community in decline, facing poverty, crime, and
pollution; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has noted that
Port Arthur has some of the highest levels of toxic air releases in
the country, and the companies operating the plants have been cited
with hundreds of air pollution violations; the effects of the
emissions have been particularly evident in the West Side
neighborhood, where Mr. Kelley discovered many people ill with a
variety of maladies and suffering from some of the highest asthma
and cancer rates in the state; with few job prospects, however, and
with property values that have plummeted, most West Side residents
have had no alternative but to stay; faced with these harsh facts,
Mr. Kelley was inspired to move back to Port Arthur to help its
citizens rebuild; and
WHEREAS, Since returning to Port Arthur, Mr. Kelley has
launched a number of initiatives that have had a significant impact
in his community; recognizing that the city's severe environmental
problems would have to be addressed in order to improve economic and
social conditions, he established the Community In-Power and
Development Association (CIDA), an organization that strives to
empower citizens by training them to monitor emissions and air
quality and by educating them about pollution and their rights;
CIDA also advocates in behalf of the community by pushing for
stricter environmental regulation and by challenging the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality to enforce existing laws; and
WHEREAS, Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Kelley led a
campaign that resulted in the Motiva Refinery installing
state-of-the-art equipment to reduce emissions when it expanded its
facility; he also helped negotiate an agreement with the company
that included the provision of three years of health coverage for
people in the West Side neighborhood and that led to the
establishment of a $3.5 million fund to spur community development
and provide job training; in addition, he guided the successful
effort to prevent 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals from Mexico from
being brought to Port Arthur for incineration; and
WHEREAS, Along with overseeing the work of CIDA, this notable
Texan serves on the EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory
Council, and he speaks extensively on the environment and social
justice; he has been the recipient of numerous honors, including
the 2003 Environmental Justice Award from the Lone Star Chapter of
the Sierra Club, a 2004 Ben and Jerry's Award for Environmental
Activism, a 2006 Houston Hero Award from the Citizens League for
Environmental Action Now, and a 2009 Houston-Galveston
Environmental Research and Outreach Award from The University of
Texas Medical Branch; and
WHEREAS, With his continuing advocacy for clean air and
environmental justice, Hilton Kelley has made a positive difference
in the lives of countless Texans, and he is an inspiring example of
the exceptional good that one person can accomplish; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Hilton Kelley on his receipt of the
2011 Goldman Environmental Prize and extend to him sincere best
wishes for continued success in all his endeavors; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Kelley as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.