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Massive coal dunes loom, coal-filled railcars screech along the tracks day and night, and winds carry toxic coal dust through the air and into homes.
Coal dust pollution in Virginia is an open secret—its black residue is visible, but strategically ignored by politicians, regulators, and polluters. Virginia exports more coal than any other U.S. state, and Black neighborhoods in Newport News and Norfolk face the most harm. While coal dust pollution can be seen with the unaided eye—if seeing is believing—why has the response been so uneven and insufficient?
The answer is not simply a lack of evidence. It is that certain forms of knowledge—testimony, grassroots monitoring, experiential data—are not recognized as authoritative in the systems and institutions that hold power.
Communities with environmental justice concerns are among the least represented in policymaking and regulatory processes, while also facing barriers to accessing the information needed to identify the policy pathways to change. As a result, activists must continually re-invest labor into the reproduction of research and strategies, potentially duplicating the efforts of others without advancing community priorities. Memory can fade over time, as leaders age and neighborhoods gentrify, diminishing momentum and continuity of efforts. When we cannot build on past knowledge and experiences, our likelihood of achieving meaningful outcomes declines.
A community archive opens a pathway from lived experience to political recognition—from private harm to public accountability.
Coal Dust, History, Place
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Photograph: Coal rocks collected just outside the Dominion Terminal Associates fenceline, December 2025. Photograph by Robin Truong. -
Image: Stephanie Smith and Mrs. Tabb stand while Ms. Tolliver goes over a draft letter to Governor Charles Robb concerning coal dust pollution. Daily Press, May 24, 1984. -
Photograph: Artist S. Ross Browne in front of his mural on the Boys and Girls Club in Southeast Newport News of Calvin Hopson, James "Poo" Johnson, Jessie Rattley, Ella Spratley, and George Austin, likely in 2018.
Explore by Theme: Understand the fundamentals of coal, airborne particles, coal dust, and environmental justice. Trace the institutionalization of environmental justice in Virginia and meet residents and early activists who won ground in the fight against coal dust pollution. Contribute to records of local history, and visit the timeline to see an overview of the events that have shaped the coal dust issue in Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point, Norfolk.
Coal DustHistoryPlaceCoal DustHistoryPlace |
Evidence
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Photograph: Scientific testing wipe with a black dust residue from a home in Southeast Newport News, 2025. Photograph by Robin Truong. -
Photograph: Community air monitor from the VOICES Network in Southeast Newport News, 2025. Photograph by Sally Pusede. -
Photograph: Mrs. Jannie Bazemore holding a dust wipe from her porch and an article about her mother, activist Mrs. Louise Bazemore, May 1, 2025. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
Dive into the Evidence: The evidence that coal dust pollution harms residents of Southeast Newport News and Lambert's Point is overwhelming. It exists in many forms, but these forms of evidence are valued differently by different audiences. Listen to residents and amplify their voices. Understand the evidence that validates, but also that which contradicts residents' testimonies, often produced by regulators and scientists, so you can challenge the systems and institutions that hold power and maintain the status quo.
Inspection ReportsResearch
TestimonialsInspection ReportsResearch
Testimonials |
Actors
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Photograph: Coal Dust Kills yard sign in Southeast Newport News. Photograph by Yugonda Sample-Jones. -
Photograph: Coal export terminals in Southeast Newport News. Photograph by Adrian Wood. -
Photograph: Norfolk Southern train and tracks in Lambert's Point, 2024. Photograph by Adrian Wood..
Who Are the Actors?: Grassroots organizations have lead the fight against coal dust pollution and for environmental justice. Learn from their work to advance your activism. Understand the role of the various government bodies and agencies with the authority to respond to residents' calls to address coal dust impacts, with an eye toward interacting effectively with these institutions and their staff. Get to know the polluters too.
Community Organizations
Government Bodies
IndustriesRegulatory AgenciesCommunity Organizations
Government Bodies
IndustriesRegulatory Agencies |
Solutions
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Photograph: Example Railcar Cover System. Photograph from Shurco Solutions. -
Photograph: The sprinklers are off, but there is water visible at the Dominion Terminal Associates facility. Photograph by Adrian Wood. -
Image: Geometrica, Inc. Freeform Stockpiles Domes.
| There Are Solutions: Coal dust pollution is a solvable problem. What has worked, and what has failed? Why does coal dust continue to plague residents when regulators and coal terminal owners and operators claim dust mitigation technologies are in place? Familiarize yourself with various dust mitigation approaches to develop your own priorities and goals.
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Organizing
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Photograph: New Virginia Majority protester. Sign reads "Do Black lives matter? Cover the Coal." Photograph from New Virginia Majority. -
Photograph: The Air We Breathe event in Southeast Newport News, April 20, 2024. Photograph by Adrian Wood. -
Photograph: Discussing solutions at the Coal Dust Kills Kick Off event, January 27, 2024. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
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Engage and Organize: Community organizing is one of the most powerful tools we have for change. Learn from current and past grassroots efforts to end coal dust pollution in Virginia and other locations that struggle against dust pollution. Find opportunities to get involved and build collaborative networks.
Local Activism and AdvocacyOutside of Newport News and NorfolkLocal Activism and AdvocacyOutside of Newport News and Norfolk |
Policy
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Photograph: Coal at Horsethief Lake, Columbia River, as part of a petition for new rulemaking on coal dust emissions from uncovered railcars. -
Photograph: Water quality pond photographed by a state environmental inspector, June 17, 2021. -
Photograph: State Senator Ghazala Hashmi speaks before the Air Pollution Control Board on June 5, 2023. Photograph by Ryan Kelly in VPM.
Navigate Policymaking to Change: Learn about the specific policies that apply to the fight against coal dust pollution, for example, air and water permits, air quality standards, and your rights to access public records in Virginia. Can these policies help advance your work?
Relevant Policies |
About Voices in the Dust and Getting Started
- About Voices in the Dust
- Edit and Add to Voices in the Dust
- Style Guide
- Citing Voices in the Dust
- Donate
- Financial Transparency
- Creating Your Own Mediawiki Archive for Action (Coming Soon)
About the Audio on this Page
You are listening to Southeast Newport News residents, Ms. Millie Taylor and Mr. Raymond Wazeeradin, discuss coal dust issues and local history with resident and activist Yugonda Sample-Jones and interviewer Adrian Wood of the Repair Lab on June 30, 2023. The Audio and Transcript are available, as well as many more interviews:
Hear from residents and activists throughout Voices in the Dust wherever you see the wind chimes.