FOR YEARS, WE'VE TOLD YOU
ABOUT CONCERNS FROM
NORFOLK RESIDENTS ABOUT
COAL
DUST IN LAMBERT'S POINT--
AND NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S
EFFORTS TO MAKE THE AIR
CLEANER.
(TOM)
BUT SOME SAY THE COMPANY
ISN'T RESPONDING TO THEIR
REQUESTS TO MEET
WITH THEM TO DISCUSS MORE
SOLUTIONS.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S KARA
DIXON JOINS US NOW WITH
MORE ON THEIR
DIFFICULTIES.
KARA?
(KARA)
PEOPLE WE SPOKE WITH SAY
THEY'VE BEEN TRYING FOR
MONTHS TO JUST SIT DOWN
WITH
REPS FROM NORFOLK
SOUTHERN TO DISCUSS THEIR
HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT
COAL
DUST-- AND THEIR IDEAS TO
FIX IT.
BUT NOTHING-- EVEN AFTER
STATE LAWMAKERS
RECOMMENDED BOTH
GROUPS MEET.
(KARA DIXON REPORTING)
A PICTURESQUE NORFOLK
NEIGHBORHOOD ISN'T ALL IT
SEEMS TO BE FOR SOME
RESIDENTS...
I WOULD LIKE TO SIT
OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE
FRESH AIR AND BREEZE
WITHOUT MY EYES RUNNING.
IT'S A HEALTH ISSUE
JANIE MORRIS HAS HAD
SINCE
MOVING TO LAMBERT'S
POINT...AND THE SAME GOES
FOR CHARLES CORBETT
MY HEALTH CONCERNS ARE
HAVING THIS DRY COUGH
SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE
YOU CAN'T FORGET ABOUT
DENNIS DUKES-WHO SAYS
HE'S HAD A HISS IN HIS
THROAT TOO.
THE DOCTORS CAN'T FIND
ANYTHING. THEY SAY IT'S
IN
THE AIR. IT'S COAL DUST.
COAL DUST COMING OF
TRAINS GOING INTO THE
NORFOLK SOUTHERN COAL
PIER LOCATED RIGHT IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'D LIKE FOR THEM TO
COVER UP THEIR CARS.
THEIR BOX CARS BECAUSE
THEY'RE OPEN ALL THE
TIME. THEY COME
THROUGH AT 3-4 AM IN THE
MORNING, 7-8 AT NIGHT.
ALL DIFFERENT KINDS
BRINGING IN COAL.
WE REACHED OUT TO NORFOLK
SURVEYS AND SO HAS THE
STATE-
SHOWING THAT COAL DUST
LEVELS DON'T POSE A
SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISKS
BUT MAY IMPACT THE
ABILITY
FOR RESIDENTS TO DO
HEALTHY OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES LIKE WALKING.
BUT THESE NEIGHBORS ARE
STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE
LONG TERM EFFECTS.
WE'VE BEEN TASKED WITH
THE BURDEN OF PROVING THE
POOR HEALTH IN THESE
COMMUNITIES IS CONNECTED
TO THE COAL DUST
COPD, BRONCHITIS,
ASMATHA, JUST A FEW OF
THE
RESPIRATORY ISSUES
LEFEETIAH BYRUN SAYS HER
ORGANIZATION-THE NEW
VIRGINIA MAJORITY-HAS
FOUND IN RESIDENTS
THEY'VE SPOKEN WITH SINCE
THEY STARTED WORKING
TOGETHER IN LAMBERT'S
POINT A FEW
YEARS AGO.
IT'S IN SOMEWAY A LOT OF
FOLKS FEEL LIKE IT'S
DAVID AND GOLIATH. IT'S
AN ISSUE THAT WOULD TAKE
AN
IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK
AND POWER TO SHIFT THE
RESOLUTION EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
THE BILL WOULD HAVE
REQUIRED NORFOLK
SOUTHERN TO CONTINUE
SUBMITING ANNUAL REPORTS
ABOUT COAL DUST, CONDUCT
A COST-BENEFIT
ANALYSIS OF COVERING THE
RAIL CARS, ENCLOSE THE
DUST SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
IN NORFOLK, AND REPORT
THE
NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS MADE
BY RESIDENTS.
THE RESOLUTION ALSO
REQUIRED NORFOLK SOUTHER
HAVE ANNUAL CITIZEN INPUT
MEETINGS. THAT EXCITED
RESIDENTS THE MOST.
BUT THE BILL WAS NEVER
VOTED ON - IN HOPES THE
TWO PARTIES COULD FIGURE
THINGS OUT ON THEIR OWN.
WHEN WE WALKED AWAY, WE
WALKED AWAY THINKING WE
WOULD MEET WITH JIM
SQUIRES AND HE WOULD GIVE
THIS COMMUNITY AND
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET FACE
TO FACE. THAT HASN'T
HAPPENED IN THE PAST. AND
90 DAYS AGO, WE SENT A
LETTER TO SUBSTANTIATE
THAT MEETING TO NO
AVAIL.
WE ALSO ASKED NORFOLK
SOUTHERN IF THEY WOULD
MEET WITH THE RESIDENTS
AND DID NOT HEAR A
RESPONSE. THEY DID POINT
US TO A WEBSITE OUTLING
WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE
TO COMBAT THE DUST.
BUT WITH THEIR
HEADQUARTERS POSSIBLY
LEAVING
NORFOLK-RELOCATING FOR
ATLANTA, THESE RESIDENTS
ARE HOLDING ONTO SLIM
HOPE
THAT THEIR VOICES WILL BE
HEARD BEFORE THAT
HAPPENS.
WE DON'T CARE WHERE THEY
MOVE. WE'RE GOING TO STAY
ON THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE
TRAIN TRACKS WILL STAY
HERE
TRAIN TRACKS THAT
CONTINUE TO REMIND THEM
OF THE COAL DUST NEXT
DOOR.
I STILL AM HOPEFUL
BECAUSE AS LONG AS YOU
HAVE PEOPLE WHO FIGHT AND
ORGANIZE, HISTORY HAS
SHOWN US THAT ANYTHING
CAN CHANGE
(KARA)
WE SPOKE WITH DELEGATE
JOE LINDSAY.
HE TOLD US THAT AFTER THE
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
WAS TABLED,...NORFOLK
SOUTHERN REPRESENTATIVES
SAID IT WOULD SEND HIM
AIR QUALITY REPORTS.
THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO
NORFOLK CITY OFFICIALS
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
COAL DUST COMPLAINTS
WE RECEIVED A PETITION
WITH OVER 600 SIGNATURES
TO PASS A COAL DUST
RESOLUTION
THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN
2017
KARA DIXON, 10 ON YOUR
SIDE.