NORFOLK, Va. — Community members in Norfolk say they are not standing down when it comes to a health crisis they say has plagued their neighborhoods for generations.
We're talking about coal dust in Lambert's Point, Norfolk. Uncovered trains driven by Norfolk Southern pass through almost daily.
"I would say the situation is dire at this point, and the fact that it has gone on for so long is what makes it stand out," said Ann Creasy, a former resident and environmental activist.
For years, the people who live by the train tracks near Old Dominion University say they have come to expect the coal dust that envelops their lives. Neighbors said it can be found almost everywhere: cars, window sills, and the corners of every home.
"Depending on the time of day, you can literally come out here with a Q Tip and just swipe and it will come away black," said Malcolm Jones, who grew up in and around Lambert's Point.
Jones said his family often talked about the constant dust presence, but said they never looked too closely at it. That is until his sister was diagnosed with asthma at an early age, along with several others on his street.
"My father mentioned coal dust and he mentioned miners that go into mines and deal with dust and the different issues that usually brings," said Jones. "With my sister and that conversation, it was the first time I thought this stuff might actually be harmful."
Activists believe there is some type of correlation between residents' asthma and cancer rates — which they believe to be higher than normal.
In Newport News, residents who settled near the Southeast Community feel similarly. Neighbors sit next to a large coal deposit, and according to a 2005 Peninsula Health District study, residents who live in this area experience asthma rates more than twice city and state averages.
Creasy said there are parallels between these two communities, only a lack of formal study divides them.
"There are the same diseases, the same complaints, found in both areas," he said.
However, a spokesperson with Norfolk Southern denied a negative impact on the community and told 13News Now that the company has taken substantial steps to reduce the amount of coal dust at Lamberts Point, monitoring particulate levels for over 30 years.
Leaders with Norfolk Southern have voluntarily adopted several practices meant to mitigate the spread of coal dust, including spraying down carts with water and dust suppressant.
Concerned community members, however, said they still feel cut out of the conversation.
"We have tried talking to [Norfolk Southern] numerous times and in 2017 we held a rally and tried to give them a letter with just some of our worries on it," Creasy said. "They never accepted it."
The concerns led the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to create a new study meant to examine the impact of coal dust in both Lambert's Point and Southeast Newport News. It's called the "Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation Program," or TAME.
Residents are asked to install a sensor in their yards that will monitor coal dust levels in the two communities. Despite the sensors not being able to detect heavy metals in the air, they have the possibility of putting years of complaints to rest.
Jones said he is hopeful the study, as well as increased awareness of what is happening in Lambert's Point, will hopefully bring change to the neighborhood.
"We don't mind sharing the community — we just want to make sure we can all breathe and really have the benefits of living and growing up and raising families and making sure our kids are actually safe for the future," he said.
Lambert's Point residents can still install a sensor in their yards to be part of the study. You can find more information on how to get involved on the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality website.