Coal dust complaints: Difference between revisions
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== Complaints in the Public Record == | == Complaints in the Public Record == | ||
Residents and business owners have made formal complaints about [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust]] in the public record to government representatives since at least the 1950s. An article in the ''Daily Press'' in 1954 describes complaints by the Garden-Shore Civic League to the City of Newport News regarding "smoke and particles" that settle in the Christopher Shores-Stuart Garden area. League members believed most of the particles to be "uncombusted coal blown from the railways' two coal dumping piers."<ref>[[:File:Daily Press 1954 04 12 Page 3.pdf|Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector]], ''Daily Press'', April 4, 1954.</ref> Complaints cover a range of impacts, including health concerns, expenses for added maintenance and coal dust removal costs, and the nuisance of needing to clean | Residents and business owners have made formal complaints about [[Particulate matter and coal dust|coal dust]] in the public record to government representatives since at least the 1950s. An article in the ''Daily Press'' in 1954 describes complaints by the Garden-Shore Civic League to the City of Newport News regarding "smoke and particles" that settle in the Christopher Shores-Stuart Garden area. League members believed most of the particles to be "uncombusted coal blown from the railways' two coal dumping piers."<ref>[[:File:Daily Press 1954 04 12 Page 3.pdf|Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector]], ''Daily Press'', April 4, 1954.</ref> Complaints cover a range of impacts, including health concerns, expenses for added maintenance and coal dust removal costs, and the nuisance of needing to clean dust incessantly. | ||
We count least 20 | We count least 20 complaints by residents before the City Councils of Newport News and Norfolk since 2023 and many more submitted to the [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ)]] since the agency formed in 1990. Prior to that, there are also multiple instances of formal complaints reported to the [[Virginia Air Pollution Control Board]]. | ||
== Terminal Inspections in Response to Complaints == | == Terminal Inspections in Response to Complaints == | ||
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=== Air Pollution Control Board === | === Air Pollution Control Board === | ||
* [[:File:Digitized Air Pollution Board 1977-87.pdf|Air Pollution Control Board, | * [[:File:Digitized Air Pollution Board 1977-87.pdf|Air Pollution Control Board, Meeting Minutes (Mrs. Beverly Mann's Comments), 1977–1987 (Digitized)]] | ||
* [[:File:Air Complaint-QACLK 1719304.pdf|Complaint from Lambert's Point, | * [[:File:Air Complaint-QACLK 1719304.pdf|Complaint from Lambert's Point, Received by the Air Pollution Control Board on June 9, 1992]] | ||
* [[:File:Air Complaint-qaclk 30142570.pdf|Complaint from Lambert's Point, | * [[:File:Air Complaint-qaclk 30142570.pdf|Complaint from Lambert's Point, Received by the Air Pollution Control Board on January 6, 1993]] | ||
=== Virginia Department of Environmental Quality === | === Virginia Department of Environmental Quality === | ||
* [[:File:Complaint 25869392.pdf|Air Inspection Report in | * [[:File:Complaint 25869392.pdf|Air Inspection Report in Response to a Resident's Complaint of Visible Emissions in Lambert's Point, January 17, 1997]] | ||
* [[:File:Air Inspection Report 56193949.pdf|Air Inspection Report in | * [[:File:Air Inspection Report 56193949.pdf|Air Inspection Report in Response to a Complaint Made by Mrs. Smiley in Lambert's Point on September 25, 2002]] | ||
* [[:File:Complaint 16247417.pdf|Air Inspection Report in | * [[:File:Complaint 16247417.pdf|Air Inspection Report in Response to a Resident's Complaint in Lambert's Point, January 5, 2005]] | ||
* [[:File:General Air Corr from DEQ-QACLK 23758588.pdf|Notice of Violation Case Closure Memorandum, June 5, 2008]] | * [[:File:General Air Corr from DEQ-QACLK 23758588.pdf|Notice of Violation Case Closure Memorandum, June 5, 2008]] | ||
* [[:File:Air Compliance Related Correspondence-QA 49859839.pdf|Targeting Data Long Form Inspection of Norfolk & Western Railroad, May 21, 1993]] | * [[:File:Air Compliance Related Correspondence-QA 49859839.pdf|Targeting Data Long Form Inspection of Norfolk & Western Railroad, May 21, 1993]] | ||
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* [[:File:Daily Press 1954 04 12 Page 3.pdf|Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector, ''Daily Press'', April 4, 1954]] | * [[:File:Daily Press 1954 04 12 Page 3.pdf|Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector, ''Daily Press'', April 4, 1954]] | ||
* [[:File:CPC Minutes 5.2.18.pdf|City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, May 2, 2018]] | |||
* [[:File:Newport News Planning Commission - Jan 06 2021 - Minutes - Adopted.pdf|City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, January 6, 2021]] | |||
* [[:File:Newport News Planning Commission - Nov 03 2021 - Minutes - Adopted.pdf|City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, November 3, 2021]] | |||
=== Complaints compiled by the [[Repair Lab]] === | === Complaints compiled by the [[Repair Lab]] === | ||
Latest revision as of 14:54, 26 June 2025
Residents' complaints and terminal inspection reports serve as evidence of coal dust impacts over time and are a starting point for tracing institutional responsiveness and/or negligence.
Complaints in the Public Record
Residents and business owners have made formal complaints about coal dust in the public record to government representatives since at least the 1950s. An article in the Daily Press in 1954 describes complaints by the Garden-Shore Civic League to the City of Newport News regarding "smoke and particles" that settle in the Christopher Shores-Stuart Garden area. League members believed most of the particles to be "uncombusted coal blown from the railways' two coal dumping piers."[1] Complaints cover a range of impacts, including health concerns, expenses for added maintenance and coal dust removal costs, and the nuisance of needing to clean dust incessantly.
We count least 20 complaints by residents before the City Councils of Newport News and Norfolk since 2023 and many more submitted to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) since the agency formed in 1990. Prior to that, there are also multiple instances of formal complaints reported to the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board.
Terminal Inspections in Response to Complaints
Some coal dust complaints triggered a visit to the terminal from an inspector from the VA DEQ, with the original complaint described in the inspection report. General terminal inspection reports are also included here.
Documents
Air Pollution Control Board
- Air Pollution Control Board, Meeting Minutes (Mrs. Beverly Mann's Comments), 1977–1987 (Digitized)
- Complaint from Lambert's Point, Received by the Air Pollution Control Board on June 9, 1992
- Complaint from Lambert's Point, Received by the Air Pollution Control Board on January 6, 1993
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
- Air Inspection Report in Response to a Resident's Complaint of Visible Emissions in Lambert's Point, January 17, 1997
- Air Inspection Report in Response to a Complaint Made by Mrs. Smiley in Lambert's Point on September 25, 2002
- Air Inspection Report in Response to a Resident's Complaint in Lambert's Point, January 5, 2005
- Notice of Violation Case Closure Memorandum, June 5, 2008
- Targeting Data Long Form Inspection of Norfolk & Western Railroad, May 21, 1993
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), May 16, 1991
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), June 4 and 11 and July 9, 1991
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), July 2, 1992
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), May 13, 1993
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), October 13, 1993
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), May 27, 1994
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), July 1, 1994
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), January 24, 1995
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), November 8, 1995
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), June 24, 1996
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), August 23, 1996
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), June 16, 1997
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), December 3, 1997
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), June 14 and 15, 1999
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), May 15 and 24, 2000
- VA DEQ Source Inspection Report Form (Lambert's Point), September 17, 2006
City of Newport News
- Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector, Daily Press, April 4, 1954
- City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, May 2, 2018
- City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, January 6, 2021
- City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, November 3, 2021
Complaints compiled by the Repair Lab
References
- ↑ Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector, Daily Press, April 4, 1954.