A crowd of people gathered together to hear Kelley's plans for protesting the shipments and encouraging government officials to stand up against "turning Port Arthur into a toxic dump."

"We need to make this state and town a better place to live," he said during the rally. "This is about making Port Arthur a safer, cleaner place."

Kelley, director of Community In Power and Development, said local officials did not do their jobs as elected leaders to take care of the citizens by informing them that the VX wastewater was coming to the city to be incinerated. For several weeks prior to the first shipment of the caustic wastewater, Veolia officials met with local government officials, including representatives from Rep. Allan Ritter's office, Rep. Ted Poe's office and Port Arthur City Council to inform them of the $49 million deal between their company and the US Army.

Kelley said when he questioned Mayor Oscar Ortiz about why the community wasn't informed of the deal, Ortiz told him it was a "need to know situation."

"The Army is rushing to get rid of the chemical and I don't know how they ended up here, but I feel our civil rights were violated," Kelley told the crowd. "I don't see any leadership and it's time for us to take the power back.’Äù

City Council member Martin Flood said he and Mayor Pro Tem Deloris Prince spoke with Ortiz to express their concern about the wastewater coming to the area and find out about stopping the shipments.

"I was outraged about it," he said. "A scientist can't stand in front of me today and tell me this stuff isn't toxic because it was made to kill people. It will do what it was designed to do."

Flood said he spoke with city attorney, Mark Sokolow, about filing an injunction to stop the shipments. No word yet on if the injunction will be filed.

Kelley said the disproportionate number of people in Southeast Texas with cancer and asthma problems are related to the many refineries in the area and the incineration process of the VX wastewater at Veolia will only increase those numbers. He also said that if the citizens allow this chemical by-product to be brought to the area it will open the door for other chemicals to be brought in and dumped here.

"If the state agencies won't do anything about it, then we will," he said.

Veolia released statements that the VX wastewater is only as dangerous as regular drain cleaner and the white suits employees wore during the first shipments' unloading were standard procedure. The refinery plans to hold an open house Monday to inform the community of the incineration process. Kelley said he will not attend the open house.

"Why wear the suits if the chemical is not toxic," he asked his audience. "I won't go on the tour because there are things that happen on the inside that can be covered up. I've gotten calls from Veolia employees but they won't come forward because they are scared for their jobs."

Instead, Kelley rallied his crowd to hold a "peaceful protest" outside the Veolia refinery to stop the trucks.

A planning meeting for the protest will be held at 5 p.m. at St. John Missionary Baptist Church Monday, April 23. The church is located at 801 Grannis Avenue.

This is not a black issue, it's not a white issue. It's a people issue, Kelley said. If we don't stand together as a people then we die as a people.