Coal dust complaints

Residents and business owners in Hampton Roads have made formal and informal complaints about coal dust to various institutions since at least the 1970s. These complaints cover a range of experience, from being annoyed about cleaning, to expenses paid for aesthetic maintenance and coal dust removal, to health concerns.

The Repair Lab’s collection of testimonials covers at least twenty independent complaints recorded since 2023, including formal complaints made on the record at city council meetings in Newport News and Norfolk. More formal complaints about coal dust have been submitted to the DEQ since the agency formed in 1994. Prior to that, there are at least 4 instances of formal complaints reported to the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board.

Formal and informal complaints of coal dust can be useful as evidence reported by the people who experience the effects of coal dust firsthand. Recorded complaints are also a useful way to understand how the effects of coal dust have changed over time. Finally, formally recorded complaints to public agencies, councils and organizations can serve as a starting point for tracing institutional change and/or negligence.