Community In-Power Development Association

CIDA delegation in U.S. Rep.Ted Poe’s Beaufort office.

CIDA delegation in U.S. Rep. Ted Poe's Beaufort Office

CIDA Delivers Petitions to U.S. Rep. Ted Poe’s Office, Calling for End to VXH Shipments

Event Date: July 5, 2007 Time 11:00 AM

Although a temporary suspension has been put on the shipment by the Army voluntarily, until an Indiana court rules on the issue, CIDA, along with the national Sierra Club and the Chemical Weapons Working Group, would like the hold on the VX hydrolysate (VXH) shipment to become permanent due to health concerns for the Southeast Texas area and the possible danger to other communities across our nation while transporting the material.

The time has come to turn the tide for toxic waste in our communities, we are starting a new day in the city of Port Arthur. We believe that our new mayor Bobby Prince will be a mayor for the people, a mayor that will be fair to the people and put the health of our kids first, a mayor that will take the health of the local residents seriously unlike our last mayor who believed we all have to die some time and it’s no big deal to breath Toxic fumes, it’s just the price we have to pay to make a buck for the city.

We must put the health of our residents first because too many of our loved ones are suffering and dying from cancer and asthma. We know that in this area there is a disproportionate number of people suffering with cancer and we must solve this problem. We must not forget that healthy communities make for a healthy nation.

We must invite cleaner non-toxic companies to Southeast Texas to do business so that we can create a cleaner environment for the present generation and the generations to come.

We are asking for U.S. Congressman Ted Poe, State Representative Joe Deshotel and our new mayor Bobby Prince to help us in this fight to clean up Texas and not make it a toxic dump site for the Nation to dump on. We are proud to be Texans and this is why we stand up for a clean healthy Texas.

CIDA President Hilton Kelley put the petitions in the hands of

Miss Barrs, Eastern District Director for Congressman Poe.

From left to right: Hilton Kelley; Mr. Warren Field, CIDA

member and former educator; and Mr. Isaiah Washington, CIDA

member and high school math teacher. These men were part of

the delegation that delivered the petitions to Congressman

Poe’s Beaufort office to stop big industries from dumping on

our community and to stop the trucks from bringing VX

hydrolysate to our community to incinerate.