Media Briefing on Plastic Pollution in Port Arthur, Texas

Journalists are invited to attend a media briefing on multiple issues related to plastics on January 24 to 26, 2024, in Port Arthur, Texas, co-sponsored by Beyond Plastics and the Port Arthur Community Action Network.

Where: Port Arthur, Texas

When: January 24 to 26, 2024

We have many excellent speakers confirmed, including Dr. Robert Bullard, who will kick off the briefing on the evening of Wednesday, January 24. Dr. Bullard is the distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University, the author of 18 books, and known as the “father of environmental justice.” Some of the other experts who will speak on January 25 — on such topics as the petrochemical buildout, the latest updates on the international plastics treaty, plastics in the water, environmental justice, and more — include:

•     John Beard Jr., founder and CEO of Port Arthur Community Action Network;
•     Diane Wilson, Texas shrimper and 2023 Goldman Prize winner for environmental activism;
•     Yvette Arellano, founder and director of Fenceline Watch;
•     Jen Powis, managing attorney for the Gulf at Earthjustice;
•     Bjorn Beeler, general manager and international coordinator at the International Pollutants Elimination Network; and
•     Roishetta Sibley Ozane, founder and CEO of the Vessel Project of Louisiana.

On January 26, John Beard will take participants on a “toxic tour” of Port Arthur, where they will hear from residents impacted by the local plastic pollution.

There is no registration fee. We will provide lodging and meals free of charge. However, you will be responsible for making and paying for your own travel arrangements to and from Houston. Please note that you must register no later than December 1 if you’d like us to reserve and pay for your accommodations.

There will be a bus to take you from the Houston airport (George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or IAH) to Port Arthur leaving at 4:30 p.m. CST on January 24. We will also provide bus transport after the toxic tour to the airport at 2 p.m. CST on January 26. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston is roughly a 90-minute drive from Port Arthur.

Details and registration.

Feel free to email Melissa Valliant at melissavalliant@bennington.edu if you have any questions about the agenda, and reach out to Andrew Craigie at andrewcraigie@bennington.edu with any questions about logistics.