H.R. No. 200
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 the six
inhabited regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South and
Central America, and the islands and island nations; in addition to
providing the recipients with enhanced credibility and
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 steep decline, wracked by poverty and
rampant crime and plagued by 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
due to the continued expansion of the chemical plants, most West
Side residents have had no avenue of escape; 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
on his community; he realized early on that the city's severe
environmental problems would have to be addressed in order to
improve economic and social conditions; to this end, 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 such existing laws
as the Clean Air Act; 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 many 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, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Hilton Kelley
on receiving the 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.
Deshotel
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 200 was adopted by the House on June
27, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House