Media
News and Opinion Articles
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Image: Mrs. Louise Bazemore shows the coal dust she cleaned from inside her Ridley Circle home.[1]
Issues around coal dust pollution have been documented in newspapers and other forms of media for decades. The first mention in the Daily Press of Newport News appears in 1927, describing the use of sprinklers to "minimize damage and discomfort arising from large quantities of coal dust in the air."[2] This coverage includes residents' testimonials of the negative effects of coal dust, proposed solutions to mitigate impacts, air monitoring studies such as the Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation (TAME), denials of any problem from corporate representatives, and relevant events such as community workshops and City Council meetings.
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Image: Mrs. Louise Bazemore shows the coal dust she cleaned from inside her Ridley Circle home.[3]
The Meaning of Green
The Meaning of Green is an environmental politics podcast produced by Vivian Thompson, a former member of the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board and University of Virginia professor. The podcast has two episodes on coal dust pollution: Coal Dust Is Black (season 3, episode 1) and The Power Game (season 3, episode 2).[4] The episodes discuss coal dust issues in Lambert's Point, Norfolk and rural Roda in Virginia's Wise County and feature an interview with Lambert's Point resident and New Virginia Majority activist Carl Poole. Thompson estimates 343 coal cars travel through Lambert's Point each day, a number based on coal export data through the terminal (2018–2022) and government estimates of the tons of coal carried per train car.[5]
Coal Blooded
Coal Blooded is a documentary short film on the impacts of coal dust on Southeast Newport News. Coal Blooded was made by videographer Brandon Davis. Coal Blooded features interviews with former Newport News Mayor Dr. McKinley Price, Southeast Newport News activists Angela Harris and Yugonda Sample-Jones, Asa Townsend from Hampton Roads Urban Agriculture, and Christopher Newport University Associate Professor Johnny Finn.
Coal Blooded won first prize at the 2023 Richmond Environmental Film Festival.[6][7]
Crosswinds
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Image: Crosswinds podcast.
Repair Lab Multimedia Producer Adrian Wood produced and released Crosswinds, a five-episode podcast on friendship, justice, evidence, and faith in the fight for clean air in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
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Image: Crosswinds podcast.
- Episode 1: Friendship. Malcolm Jones and Lathaniel Kirts are lifelong friends who are teaming up to deal with harmful coal dust that clouds the air in their hometown. The source, coal terminals that together form America's largest coal export system.
- Episode 2: Change. Gentrification of neighborhoods contaminated by coal dust in Southeast Newport News, Virginia may be the leverage needed to push environmental mitigation efforts. But changes can also push residents out of their homes. And people wonder – how will the coal dust affect newcomers to the neighborhood, who may not be aware of the problem?
- Episode 3: Cost. Since the earliest days of railroads in the U.S., Black and poor residents have covered the costs of the coal and rail industries with their health and well-being. It is a tax they pay to wealthy fossil fuel corporations, who continue to escape accountability. This isn't just in Hampton Roads – all along the railroad tracks, from West Virginia to Baltimore, the coal and rail industries displace costs onto neighboring residents.
- Episode 4: Proof. There is a new study that could offer more information on the coal dust in Hampton Roads, Virginia. But will it be enough to reduce coal dust? Doubt hangs in the air. The only thing residents know for sure is they want the coal dust gone.
- Episode 5: Faith. Residents of Hampton Roads are demanding an end to the coal dust after decades of struggle. But the road to environmental justice is long and winding, full of setbacks and switchbacks. What does it mean to have faith that change is possible and that effort is worthwhile?
Crosswinds received local and regional media coverage[8][9][10][11][12] and was named to the Future of Media Awards shortlist 2024.
Resources and Materials: See for Yourself and Dig Deeper
News Articles
Hampton Roads Lines Provide Coal Sprinkler: Dust Evil at Ports Reduced Materially, Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, November 22, 1927
Railroads of Port Adopt Coal Sprinkle: Growing demand for Sprinkled Coal Said to Be Made by Trans-Shippers, Daily Press, November 23, 1927
Chronology of Main Local Events in 1947, Daily Press, December 31, 1947
Newport News to Analyze Smoke and Soot Nuisance in Garden-Shores Sector, Daily Press, April 4, 1954
Study of Air Pollution Set to Start Soon, Daily Press, September 21, 1956
10 Dust Collection Stations, Daily Press, October 4, 1956
Council, Daily Press, November 27, 1956
Council, Daily Press, December 4, 1956
C&O to Install Costly Equipment for Control of Air Pollution in NN, Daily Press, December 12, 1956
Council Gets Air Pollution Control Plan, Daily Press, December 18, 1956
Matthews, Port Authority Trying to Cut Coal Dust at Marine Terminal, Daily Press, April 27, 1984
Dust Covered Apartments (Continued from Page 1), Daily Press, May 5, 1984
Matthews, Coal Dust Unsettles Residents: Tenants Group Write Governor, Daily Press, May 24, 1984
Water Curtain Being Installed (Continued from Page 17), Daily Press, May 24, 1984
Murry, Coal Dust Still Bothers Its Neighbors, Daily Press, January 27, 1985
Murry, Coal Dust Causes Concern (Continued from Page C1), Daily Press, January 27, 1985
Fredrick, 60-Acre NN Facility Is a Pier without a Peer, Daily Press, March, 28, 1993
Coal Operation Stirs up Trouble, The Roanoke Times, November 20, 1993
Voorhees Railroads, Utilities Clash Over Dust From Coal Trains, New York Times, Jan 25, 2010
Coal Dust, Piles an Issue for Southeast Newport News, Daily Press, July 16, 2011
Lawlor, Studying the Southeast, Daily Press, February 2, 2012
Grimes, Coalition to Hold Programs on Health, Daily Press, July 4, 2013
Deitrich, Lawsuit Seeks to Stop U.S. Loan Guarantee for Coal Exports, Daily Press, August 1, 2013
Salasky, Forums and Flue Shots, Daily Press, September 28, 2013
Clift, What's in Air in the City's Southeast? Daily Press, June 3, 2015
Clift, Air Continued from Page 1, Daily Press, June 3, 2015
Deitrich, Air Quality Low in Southeast Community, Daily Press, July 24, 2015
"Even on nice days, you can't open the windows up to get a cool breeze because the dust of the coal pile will fill up in your windowsills."
—Janet Garner Interviewed by Daily Press Reporter Tamara Dietrich, July 24, 2015[13]
Salasky, EPA Grant Breathes Life into Air Quality Campaign, Daily Press, August 20, 2015
Clift, Southeast Petition Get 1000 Signatures, Daily Press, October 30, 2015
Colvin, Part One – Coal Dust: Lambert Point’s Invisible Menace, The New Journal and Guide, 2015
Colvin,Part Two – Coal Dust: An Invisible Menace, The New Journal and Guide, 2015
Air Quality Workshop, Daily Press, May 6, 2016
Mayfield, Coal Dust Gets an Airing Outside Norfolk Southern Shareholders Meeting, The Virginian Pilot, May 11, 2017
Byrum,Why Black Communities are Resisting Coal Pollution in Norfolk, New Virginia Majority Blog, June 24, 2020
Hafner, Coal Dust Has Long Plagued Norfolk, Newport News. With New $500K Grant, Virginia Plans to Study What’s in the Air, The Virginian Pilot, September 30, 2020
Domecq, Residents Near Trainyard Discuss Efforts to Study and Solve Coal Dust Problems, The Appalachian Voice, January 13, 2021
Janney, Study Aims to Test Effects of Coal Dust, but Residents are Skeptical Change Will Come, The Virginian Pilot, November 3, 2023
Hollingsworth, Newport News Residents Voice Concerns about Coal Pollution, 3WTKR, January 23, 2024
Janney, A Dome in Newport News? Residents Ask City to Consider Barriers for Coal Dust, Daily Press, January 24, 2024
Hafner, Stricter Federal Air Pollution Standards Likely Won't Help Hampton Roads Communities Plagued by Coal Dust, WHRO, March 22, 2024
Saitta, Newport News Residents Say Coal Dust is the Source of Some Health Problems, WTKR, April 20, 2024
Hafner, 'Coal Dust Kills': Environmental Justice Event at CNU Highlights Problems, Progress in Newport News, WHRO, April 14, 2026
Ponton, Newport News Neighbors Await Results of Coal Dust Air Quality Study, WTKR, April 15, 2026
Opinion Articles
A West Ghent Resident, West Ghent Noises, Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, August 26, 1952
"You could never get accustomed to the fine coal dust that accumulates every night on your windowsills."
—A West Ghent Resident, August 26, 1952[14]
Who's Breathing What? Daily Press, January 31, 1985
Thayer, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, June 5, 2015
"I have lived in the Southeast Community of Newport News for 14 years. My family lived in Harbor Homes for 10 years before is was torn down. It was difficulty dealing with the coal dust coming in my windows constantly, and I wondered how it would affect my then-teenage daughter. We have moved to Ridley Circle (only a block away) and while the coal dust is not as visible, we know it is still there. I have been working with the Southeast CARE Coalition for a few months, doing whatever I can to help our neighborhood. I hope Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward and the Department of Environmental Quality Director David Taylor will become involved in making our neighborhood a better lace to live. Thank you for publishing articles about our dilemmas. Maybe making the problems more well known will encourage more of my neighbors to get involved."
—Thayer's Letter to the Editor, June 5, 2015[15]
Lovett, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, June 17, 2015
Fotiou, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, June 17, 2015
Crawford, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, July 27, 2015
Witlow, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, August 3, 2015
Millard, Minorities Deserve Chance Despite Neighborhood, Daily Press, January 31, 2016
Holloman, Make Cleaner Air a Priority, Daily Press, April 27, 2016
Harris, We March for the Children, Daily Press, April 23, 2017
Kirts, Opinion: A Pastor's Plea to Combat Coal Dust in Newport News and Norfolk, The Virginian Pilot, November 11, 2023
Multimedia
Thompson, Coal Dust is Black, The Meaning of Green, August 2021
Thompson, The Power Game, The Meaning of Green, September 2021
Davis, Coal Blooded, 2022
Wood, Crosswinds, 2024
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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 have photographs or stories 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 Some Noise and Be Heard
Opinion editorials (op-eds) and press releases are effective tools to generate media attention and reach wider audiences.
Most newspapers and other similar media outlets have an op-ed submission form or email, where you directly submit your opinion article. Op-eds may inspire others outside of your network to submit their own letters, often in support of your cause. Op-eds can demonstrate shared community concerns on issues that are otherwise not receiving attention from journalists or politicians, especially when community organizations coordinate op-ed submissions so they are a consistent presence. This was done by Southeast CARE Coalition in 2015–2017.
Here is a template and guidance you can use to write an op-ed:
| Present the problem and give it a human touch. Supporting data is important but it will fall flat if you don't demonstrate what it means for readers. Do you have an experience with coal dust that you can share? Impacted residents have a powerful voice and can contribute to personalizing issues for the readers that data alone may not be able to do.
Paragraph 1: Set up the problem and introduce your argument. The rest of the paragraph demonstrates the different ways that the problem affects community members. This puts a human face on the problem—an important part of any op-ed. The paragraph concludes with a sentence that hints at finding a solution. This acts as a nice transition to the next paragraph. Paragraph 2: Present your solution. Use the first few sentences of this paragraph to restate the problem/argument and offer a solution. The effectiveness of the solution is then supported by data. Paragraphs 3–4: Provide examples of specific initiatives you are supporting—maybe a local ordinance, legislation by the Virginia General Assembly, or specific changes to a terminal's air permit. Offer a solution – what local programs or initiatives are you supporting? What can still be done to help? Be sure to show why these solutions are effective. It is important to demonstrate that there are many ways the government can pursue environmental justice. Concluding Paragraph: This is a call to action. Remind readers that solving the problem will take time, dedication, and cooperation. Invite readers to become part of the solution—success is a community effort. |
Are you organizing an event? Planning an action? Write a press release to generate media coverage. It does not need to be perfect, and people often deviate from any one exact template.
Here is guidance and a template you can use to write a press release:
| Headline: Write a short headline that catches people's attention.
Introductory Paragraphs: Share the most important information first. Provide answers to who, what, where, why, and when. General Guidance:
[Headline] For immediate release—[Date] [Location]. [Your introductory sentence with answers to who, what, when, where, and why]. [Main body organized from most to least important]. Media Contact [Name], [Affiliation] [Phone] [Email Address] |
Repair Lab Evidence Exhibit Press Release Example, July 21, 2025
Sources
- ↑ Murry, Coal Dust Causes Concern (Continued from Page C1), Daily Press, January 27, 1985.
- ↑ Railroads of Port Adopt Coal Sprinkle: Growing demand for Sprinkled Coal Said to Be Made by Trans-Shippers, Daily Press, November 23, 1927.
- ↑ Murry, Coal Dust Causes Concern (Continued from Page C1), Daily Press, January 27, 1985.
- ↑ The Meaning of Green Podcast & Coal Dust, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, Undated.
- ↑ Thompson, The Meaning of Green, The Power Game, September 2021.
- ↑ 2023 Film Contest, RVA Environmental Film Festival, 2023.
- ↑ Caplan, Alum Documentary Wins Top Honor at Film Festival, Christopher Newport Newsroom, March 30, 2023.
- ↑ Presenting Crosswinds, With Good Reason, Virginia Humanities, May 3, 2024.
- ↑ The Appalachian Forager and Crosswinds: Downstream Dangers of Coal Dust, Inside Appalachia, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, May 27, 2024.
- ↑ New Podcast 'Crosswinds' Explores Coal Dust Pollution in Hampton Roads, WHRO Public Media, June 20, 2024.
- ↑ Future of Media Awards Shortlist 2024, Press Gazette, July 11, 2024.
- ↑ Crosswinds: The Cost of Coal, Making Contact from the National Radio Project, September 18, 2024.
- ↑ Deitrich, Air Quality Low in Southeast Community, Daily Press, July 24, 2015.
- ↑ A West Ghent Resident, West Ghent Noises, Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, August 26, 1952
- ↑ Thayer, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, June 5, 2015.