The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has received more than half a million dollars from the EPA to investigate air quality related to coal dust in two historic Tidewater communities.
DEQ will host several public events to engage the community and collect input during the study. Kickoff meetings to share information about the study and gather feedback that will inform air pollution monitor locations will be held on April 7 in Norfolk and April 11 in Newport News.
Data collection will begin this summer. Visit www.DEQ.Virginia.gov/TAME to learn more about the project, opportunities to get involved and to sign up for email updates.
DEQ monitors common pollutants, such as particulate pollution, ozone and nitrogen dioxide at dozens of locations across the Commonwealth, including several locations in Tidewater. However, until now, resource and funding constraints have limited the agency’s ability to deploy site-specific air toxics monitors.
The Virginia Department of Health will work with DEQ to evaluate the data collected, conduct health risk assessments and provide information regarding potential health concerns. DEQ will analyze the results to determine the need for longer-term air monitoring in these communities. This project will inform plans and programs to address air quality impacts associated with coal dust.
For more than a century, coal terminals in the communities of Lambert’s Point in Norfolk and East End in Newport News have been used as transport and shipping areas for rail cars and international cargo ships.
Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, may be present in coal dust and have been linked to cancer and other serious health effects. Through the Tidewater Air Monitoring and Evaluation project, DEQ will deploy a series of air quality monitors and sensors to measure air toxics along with particulate pollution from coal dust.
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