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Latest revision as of 20:13, 5 June 2025

Welcome to Voices in the Dust––a living, community archive for action supporting current and future activists in the fight against coal dust pollution and for environmental justice in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point, Norfolk.

Explore Voices in the Dust

Timeline of Key Events in Coal Dust Activism

1920s

[text]

1950s

[text]

1970s

Jessie Rattley, the first Black mayor of Newport News, and other local leaders begin early discussions around coal dust mitigation.
Linwood DeBrew and other community members begin organizing around coal dust pollution issues.
Formal complaints about coal dust are first reported at civic league meetings in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

1980s

Dust suppressing sprinkler systems are installed at coal terminals in response to community concerns.
A significant increase in formal complaints about coal dust from local residents, including the first recorded complaint from Lambert's Point, Norfolk.
The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board begins monitoring coal dust emissions and takes initial steps to regulate coal dust control.

1990s

In 1990, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) is formally established, with coal dust regulation becoming a priority issue.
Representative Dick Cranwell sponsors a bill requiring Norfolk Southern to report air quality and coal dust emissions.
The 1993 RISE, Inc. v. Kay lawsuit challenges a landfill siting in King and Queen County citing environmental racism, further shaping the conversation around environmental justice in Virginia.

2000s

The Southeast Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Coalition, then led by Dr. Erica Holloman, Linwood DeBrew, and Angela Harris, intensifies organizing efforts around coal dust pollution and environmental racism in Southeast Newport News.
In 2002, the Southeast CARE Coalition formally pushes for investigations into the health impacts of coal dust, collaborating with the U.S. EPA.

2010s

The Southeast CARE Coalition and U.S. EPA report is released: A Collaborative Effort to Assess Environmental Health in Newport News, Virginia
Increased activism around Lambert's Point under the slogan Cover the Coal, led by New Virginia Majority and the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, and supported by academic researchers like Dr. Anna Jeng from Old Dominion University, highlights the need for stronger air quality monitoring and regulatory measures.
Planning grants are secured to explore solutions to coal dust impacts, and coal dust-related petitions are circulated.

2020s

In 2020, the Virginia Environmental Justice Act is passed, with the state government committing to integrate environmental justice principles into decision-making.
The VA DEQ secures funding for the Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation (TAME) to track coal dust levels in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point.
The Repair Lab begins interviewing residents affected by coal dust pollution in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point, monitoring ambient dust concentrations, and sampling dust inside residents home to identify evidence of coal dust exposure.
In 2024, Adrian Wood releases Crosswinds, a multi-episode podcast exploring the coal dust issues through the friendship of local activists, Lathaniel Kirts and Malcolm Jones.
The Repair Lab and African American History Society of Newport News begin work on this digital archive documenting decades of coal dust activism and environmental justice efforts in Virginia, providing a historical record of community struggles and victories.

Evidence

Testimonials

Research

Actors

Regulatory Agencies

Government Bodies

Community and Activist Organizations

East End Coalition
Empower All
New Virginia Majority
Repair Lab
Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
Southeast CARE Coalition

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-=== heading ===
+Welcome to Voices in the Dust––a living, community archive for action supporting current and future activists in the fight against [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust]] pollution and for [[environmental justice]] in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point, Norfolk.
+== Explore Voices in the Dust ==
+<imagemap>
+File:Vitd-splash- 1@1.5x.png|center|frameless|700x700px|Visual Table of Contents
+poly 962 834 1422 1102 1414 1618 970 1874 522 1622 522 1090 [[#Evidence | Go to Evidence]]
+poly 2326 54 2770 314 2766 834 2318 1094 1870 826 1870 318 [[#Organizing | Go to Organizing]]
+poly 522 62 974 310 964 830 518 1098 66 838 66 318 [[#Solutions | Go to Solutions]]
+poly 1414 54 1870 314 1866 834 1414 1094 970 838 970 314 [[#Policy | Go to Policy]]
+poly 1878 838 2326 1098 2318 1618 1878 1874 1422 1614 1418 1094 [[#Actors | Go to Actors]]
+poly 1422 1618 1870 1882 1870 2394 1422 2650 970 2386 966 1878 [[#Timeline of Key Events in Coal Dust Activism | Go to Timeline]]
-===== subheading =====
+</imagemap>
-'''Voices in the Dust''' is an interdisciplinary project by '''The Repair Lab''', working to condense decades of '''environmental justice''' work done in Southeastern Virginia into an archive for future activists to use. Documenting everything from interviews to scientific reports to public policy decisions, the mission of Voices in the Dust is centered on the impacts of '''coal dust''' from two coal terminals located outside of two predominantly black communities, Lambert’s Point, Norfolk, and East End, Newport News. These communities have a long history of respiratory and other health issues connected to pollution from the coal. Voices in the Dust seeks to tell their story of oppression, resilience, and their fight for justice to future generations.
-== Getting started ==
+== Timeline of Key Events in Coal Dust Activism ==
-* How to use this wiki
-* How this wiki is organized
+=== 1920s ===
-* How edits get approved
-* [https://www.coaldustkills.com Coaldustkills.com]
+* [text]
+=== 1950s ===
+* [text]
+=== 1970s ===
+* Jessie Rattley, the first Black mayor of Newport News, and other local leaders begin early discussions around coal dust mitigation.
+* Linwood DeBrew and other community members begin organizing around coal dust pollution issues.
+* Formal complaints about coal dust are first reported at civic league meetings in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
+=== 1980s ===
+* Dust suppressing sprinkler systems are installed at coal terminals in response to community concerns.
+* A significant increase in formal complaints about coal dust from local residents, including the first recorded complaint from Lambert's Point, Norfolk.
+* The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board begins monitoring coal dust emissions and takes initial steps to regulate coal dust control.
+=== 1990s ===
+* In 1990, the [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ)]] is formally established, with coal dust regulation becoming a priority issue.
+* [https://history.house.virginia.gov/members/8916 Representative Dick Cranwell] sponsors a bill requiring Norfolk Southern to report air quality and coal dust emissions.
+* The 1993 [https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/768/1144/2364908/ RISE, Inc. v. Kay] lawsuit challenges a landfill siting in King and Queen County citing environmental racism, further shaping the conversation around environmental justice in Virginia.
+=== 2000s ===
+* The [[Southeast CARE Coalition|Southeast Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Coalition]], then led by Dr. Erica Holloman, Linwood DeBrew, and Angela Harris, intensifies organizing efforts around coal dust pollution and environmental racism in Southeast Newport News.
+* In 2002, the [[Southeast CARE Coalition]] formally pushes for investigations into the health impacts of coal dust, collaborating with the U.S. EPA.
+=== 2010s ===
+* The [[Southeast CARE Coalition]] and U.S. EPA report is released: [[:File:A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN NEWPORT NEWS VIRGINIA FINAL.PDF|A Collaborative Effort to Assess Environmental Health in Newport News, Virginia]]
+* Increased activism around Lambert's Point under the slogan Cover the Coal, led by New Virginia Majority and the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, and supported by academic researchers like Dr. Anna Jeng from Old Dominion University, highlights the need for stronger air quality monitoring and regulatory measures.
+* Planning grants are secured to explore solutions to coal dust impacts, and coal dust-related petitions are circulated.
+=== 2020s ===
+* In 2020, the Virginia Environmental Justice Act is passed, with the state government committing to integrate environmental justice principles into decision-making.
+* The [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ)|VA DEQ]] secures funding for the [[Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation (TAME)]] to track coal dust levels in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point.
+* The Repair Lab begins interviewing residents affected by coal dust pollution in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point, monitoring ambient dust concentrations, and sampling dust inside residents home to identify evidence of coal dust exposure.
+* In 2024, Adrian Wood releases Crosswinds, a multi-episode podcast exploring the coal dust issues through the friendship of local activists, Lathaniel Kirts and Malcolm Jones.
+* The Repair Lab and African American History Society of Newport News begin work on this digital archive documenting decades of coal dust activism and environmental justice efforts in Virginia, providing a historical record of community struggles and victories.
+== Evidence ==
+=== Testimonials ===
+* [[Coal dust complaints|Coal Dust Complaints]]
+* [[Interviews and oral histories|Interviews and Oral Histories]]
+* [[Media|News and Other Media]]
+=== Research ===
+* [[Air monitoring|Air Monitoring (General)]]
+* [[Local air monitoring|Air Monitoring (Local)]]
+* [[Health impacts: particles and coal dust|Health Impacts: Particles and Coal Dust (General]])
+* [[Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation (TAME)]]
+* [[VOICES: Voices Organizing In opposition to Coal dust with Environmental Sensing Network|VOICES Network: Voices Organizing In opposition to Coal dust with Environmental Sensing]]
+== Actors ==
+=== Regulatory Agencies ===
+* [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ)|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)]]
+* [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ)]]
+* [[Virginia Department of Health (VDH)]]
+* [[Virginia Air Pollution Control Board]]
+=== Government Bodies ===
+* [[State Legislature and General Assembly|Local Governments]]
+* [[State Legislature and General Assembly|Virginia State Legislature (Also Known as the General Assembly)]]
+* [[Virginia Council on Environmental Justice ( FKA Environmental Justice Advisory Board|Virginia Council on Environmental Justice (Formerly Known as the Environmental Justice Advisory Board]])
+=== Community and Activist Organizations ===
+* East End Coalition
+* Empower All
+* New Virginia Majority
+* [[Repair Lab]]
+* Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
+* Southeast CARE Coalition
+=== Industries ===
+* [[Companies: railroads, terminals, and coal|Railroads, Terminals, and Coal Companies]]
+== Solutions ==
+* [[Chemical Dust Suppression: Sprinklers and Surfactants]]
+* [[Covering the Train Cars and Dumpers]]
+* [[Wind Fences, Domes, and Tree Barriers]]
+== Policy ==
+* [[Terminal Permits|Federal and State Terminal Permits]]
+* [[Joint Subcommittee Studying Measures to Reduce Emissions from Coal-Carrying Railroad Cars]]
+* [[Local Regulations]]
+* [[Regulation under the Clean Air Act|National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)]]
+* [[State Regulations]]
+== Organizing ==
+* [[Anti-Coal Dust Activism Outside of Hampton Roads|Activism Outside of Hampton Roads]]
+* [[Anti-Coal Dust Campaigns and Initiatives|Campaigns and Initiatives in Hampton Roads]]
+* __NOTOC__[[Community events|Community Events]]__NOTOC__
+== About Voices in the Dust and Getting Started ==
+* How do I use this wiki?
+* How is this wiki is organized?
+* How do edits get approved?
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Voices in the Dust}}