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Goldman Environmental Prize
2011 Recipient for North America:
Sierra Club Ally Hilton Kelley
Now leading the battle for environmental justice on the Texas Gulf Coast, Hilton Kelley fights for communities living in the shadow of polluting industries.
The Sierra Club is proud to announce that Hilton Kelley has been awarded the 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize for North America. Considered the "Nobel Prize for environmental activism," Kelley was selected for his landmark environmental justice work to improve air quality in one of the most polluted areas in the nation. Kelley led the movement to clean up his largely African-American West Side neighborhood of Port Arthur, Texas, after seeing his town sickened by industrial pollution, plagued with crime, and teetering near economic collapse. Over the last 10 years, Kelley has worked to educate and empower community residents and reduce emissions from the eight major petrochemical and hazardous waste facilities in the area.
Born and raised on the West Side of Port Arthur, Hilton Kelley returned to his hometown after a successful 21-year career in Hollywood to find his community ravaged by air pollution, crime, and poverty. To combat the air pollution at the heart of the social and economic problems, Kelley established the Community In-powerment Development Association (CIDA) and began training local residents to monitor air quality.
Sierra Club ally Hilton Kelley wins the prestigious 2011 Goldman Prize for his environmental justice work in Port Arthur, Texas, fighting for clean air and economic opportunity for his Gulf Coast community. Both photos this page: Goldman Environmental Prize.
Kelley's community outreach campaign and advocacy led to the installation of state-of-the-art equipment to reduce harmful emissions at Motiva, the largest petrochemical facility in the U.S. Kelley also negotiated a now-famous "good neighbor" agreement that provided health coverage for the residents of the west side for three years and established a $3.5 million fund to help entrepreneurs launch new businesses in the community. Together with the Sierra Club, Kelley led a successful campaign beginning in 2006 that stopped Veolia Corporation from importing more than 20,000 tons of toxic PCBs from Mexico for incineration at its Port Arthur plant.
Kelley continues to advocate for stronger environmental protections in the Texas Gulf Coast and serves on the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Thanks to his leadership, Port Arthur has recently been selected as an EPA national showcase city, bringing new attention and funding to the community. Last year, Kelley and his wife opened Kelley's Kitchen, a soul food restaurant that employs West Side residents.
For his dedication, heart and persistence, Kelley has been awarded the 2011 Goldman Environmental Prize. Join us in congratulating Hilton Kelley for his landmark environmental justice work.
See more about the Sierra Club's Environmental Justice program.