Complaints

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Why this Information Is Important: Residents' complaints to officials and investigation reports serve as evidence of coal dust impacts over time and are a starting point for tracing institutional responsiveness and/or negligence.

Attention: Residents, activists and advocates, researchers, policymakers

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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 (APCB).

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. Routine terminal inspection reports are archived separately.

Resources and Materials: See for Yourself and Dig Deeper

Virginia Air Pollution Control Board

Southeast Newport News

Mr. James A. Comyns, Portsmouth Properties, PTC Inc.: "Since you may not be aware, we would like to bring to your attention that there currently exist two (2) relatively new open coal storage export facilities in Newport News, Virginia (Massey and Dominion Terminals). The reason we mention this, is that we have experienced a great deal of trouble from fugitive coal dust emissions from the open storage piles of these facilities. Complaints have been numerous, and indeed the local residents around these two terminals have been extremely vocal about the situation, both to us and the press."

Lambert's Point

Summarized Comments by Beverly Mann during the APCB Meeting, February 2, 1987: "There were hundreds of citizens in the Norfolk area who felt that coal dust from the Norfolk and Western facility at Lambert's Point was causing a problem and she urged the Board to require A Reasonable Available Control Technology (RACT) on existing sources to minimize the problem. She noted that a monitor placed at her house contained over 38% coal dust and that the quality of life of the people was being adversely affected. She noted that the Norfolk and Southern, and Norfolk and Western were good neighbors but that the Board really needed to take appropriate steps to minimize fugitive emissions."

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Southeast Newport News

Carol S. Brown, Newport News Resident: "Coal dust covers much of the Southeast Community of Newport News. The neighborhoods suffer from black dust on the properties which is always airborne and there is a high incidence of lung disorders including asthma by residents in the zip code. I have been diagnosed and treated for severe asthmas since coming to this area 7 years ago. Just run your hand across your car and you can see the coal dust! It's like a coating of pollen in the spring."

Barry Halcrow, VA DEQ: "[Resident] believes too much dust has been deposited on her car and her home outdoor areas. She suspects the darker dust to be coal dust from the coal terminals on the James River in Newport News."

Lambert's Point

Jerome A Brooks, VA DEQ Inspector: "On 9/25/02, the Department received a complaint from Mrs. Smiley concerning coal dust entering her home through the air conditioning filters causing her to cough and have problems breathing."

Jerome A Brooks, VA DEQ Inspector: "Sample collected by Will Williams appears to be coal dust. The sample will be sent to Richmond for determination. The complainant's home is located west of the Lambert Point terminal. DEQ staff has spoken with Mr. Ray Jones, Senior General Foreman Pier Operations, of Norfolk and Southern concerning the compliant. Mr. Jones, said he could not recall problems at the terminal but would stress the environmental concerns with his staff. DEQ staff will continue to monitor the complainant's home, neighborhood, and the operations of Norfolk and Southern."

City of Newport News

Daily Press: "[Garden-Shores Civic League] members thought that most of the dust was fine particles of uncombusted coal blown from the railways' two coal dumping piers about one mile away, but Shaffer, speaking to them at a meeting, say that the rail way's analysis showed that only five to 10 percent was uncombusted coal particles."

City of Norfolk

Complaints Compiled by the Repair Lab

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The Front Porch and Community Action

Have a question? Want to start a conversation or share an observation? Join the discussion: Front Porch

Do you live in Southeast Newport News, and do you have stories you would like to share? Do you have photographs or information to add to this page? Add Your Voice

You can also email the Repair Lab at editor@voicesinthedust.org or call, text, or send a voice memo to (757) 317-0356. If you prefer, a Repair Lab team member can record your story in person or collect physical materials to digitize and then return them to you.

Make an Official Complaint

You can make an official complaint to the VA DEQ Tidewater Office through myDEQ portal or by calling (757) 518-2000.

You can also register a complaint with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 Office ECHO tool, which allows video and photographic evidence to be uploaded as part of an observed violation.

Note, these websites might change. Voices in the Dust will try to keep this contact information up to date. However, if a link is broken, you can likely find the new page through a web search of the above information.

Sources

  1. ↑ Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector, Daily Press, April 4, 1954.
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