NEWSLETTERS

 SIERRA Magazine

 

The Virginia chapter newsletter,Old Dominion Sierran, is a 12-page tabloid publishing four times a year – Jan./Feb./Mar., Apr./May/June, July/Aug./Sep. and Oct./Nov./Dec. The newsletter covers environmental issues and campaigns important to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Included is a page devoted to grassroots activities (News from the Groups), and another page addressing conservation tips for individual members to incorporate in their daily lives (Love the Earth, Live the Simple Life) and more.

Sierran  Archives

 

CHESAPEAKE BAY GROUP NEWSLETTERS

Climate Change, Norfolk, and the Coal Dust Blues
By Joe Cook, Vice Chair and Clean Energy Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Group

I read the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with acute interest as it relates to Norfolk, where I live near the Lafayette River, and coastal Virginia. Furthermore, since Norfolk is the second most vulnerable city to climate change in the United States just behind New Orleans due to rising seas, flooding and severe weather events, the report really hits home.

As this report and other “inconvenient truths” have shown, to limit global warming and its most catastrophic effects yet to come, the vast majority of the world’s reserves of fossil fuels, especially coal, oil and gas, will have to be left in the ground. Or, in the alternative, develop some magical way to safely capture and bury the emissions, which appears far-fetched and unlikely.

That brings us back to Virginia with its coal producing region in Appalachia and the largest coal shipping terminal in North America at Norfolk Southern’s Lambert’s Point facility, which DEQ has chosen to exempt by a “grandfather clause” from the provisions of the 1970 Clean Air Act because it existed prior to that time(1). Not only does burning coal contribute the largest amount of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere with severe environmental health effects, the mining and shipping of it add more harm. We can vividly see the latter in Norfolk with the annual dumping of 90,000 lbs of coal dust on surrounding neighborhoods from the processing at the terminal and the coal cars that pass through and bring it to the holding yard for up to 500 cars.

Living within two miles of the terminal, I daily see the effects of coal dust with it routinely covering our cars and the house. That presents a nuisance factor and an added cleaning expense, but the greatest harm comes from the link to adverse health effects from the arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals in the dust: decreased lung capacity, increased childhood bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, emphysema, heart disease, increased infant mortality rates and premature death.

For the foregoing reasons, I have led a seven month campaign, with the help of residents and volunteers, to bring pressure on Norfolk Southern (NS) to significantly reduce the amount of unregulated fugitive dust it releases, asked DEQ for more regulatory oversight and requested the VA Department Health to do a health impact assessment on the affected areas. NS, which made $559 million in net profit last quarter, denies that coal dust causes any harm and thus far has refused our request to reduce the volume of dust released by enclosing the dumpers and the conveyors at the terminal and putting covers on the coal cars. The latter may release coal dust at the rate of up to one pound/car/mile or about 600 lbs/car from the mines to their destination, which adds up with the 200,000 cars rolling into Lambert’s Point annually.

Based on the response of the residents from Lambert’s Point, West Ghent and Larchmont at three town hall meetings with a total of 250 people in attendance, our Coal Dust Blues Campaign has hit a responsive chord. Responding to residents’ concerns and request for action, Councilman Tommy Smigiel sent a letter (2) on June 25,, 2014, to the Norfolk City Council. Based on cited scientific evidence linking coal dust to adverse health and environmental effects, the letter asks the Council to go on record with a resolution asking NS to mitigate the 90,000 lbs of coal dust released annually into the surrounding community: cover the coal cars, enclose the dumpers as a NS consultant recommended years ago and enclose the conveyors transporting the coal at the terminal.

To date, Mayor Fraim has refused to put the issue on the agenda for debate, so we the people have to ratchet up the pressure on the Mayor and the rest of the Council, especially those who represent the most impacted neighborhoods: Mayor Fraim and Councilpersons Whibley, Winn and Williams. Of special interest, Councilman Protogyrou told me that he would abstain on the matter due to a conflict of interest because he has large holdings of NS stock. How many other members are in that same boat?

To move the needle, more neighborhood residents will have to step up, take ownership of the issue by:
1)filing complaints of coal dust contamination every time you see it on your property with the state Department of Environmental Quality at http://tinyurl.com/DEQCOMPLAINT and800.468.8892 , 24-hr hotline;
2)filing complaints with Norfolk Southern at 800.621.0772; and
3)signing the petition supporting Councilman Smigiel’s call for mitigation (covers on coal cars, enclose the dumpers and the conveyors) at http://tinyurl.com/less-coal-dust

Until such time as we get beyond coal, let’s make sure that its effects on the public and environmental health is minimized. To that end, I hope that you will file complaints and raise your voice at the Facebook Page dedicated to this issue at Norfolk Southern: Stop the Coal Dust: https://www.facebook.com/CoalDustBlues?ref=br_tf

(1) http://hamptonroads.com/2014/05/uncovered-coal-dust-our-wind
(2) http://preview.tinyurl.com/smigiel-wants-norfolk-southern

Why Get Involved? To Change Everything We Need Everyone
by Gary Medlin, Membership Committee Chair
Do you ever wonder how many Sierra Club members live in south Hampton Roads? Actually, there are over 1200 paid members. Now ask how many of these attend the monthly meetings and /or other events. Give up? The answer is a staggering 20-25 individuals!
By nearly any standard, the percentage of those who are active in the club compared to paid members is minuscule. You may ask, “So what? I pay my dues and that’s enough.” It is true that the Sierra Club needs funds to carry on its agenda, but it also needs “boots on the ground.”
Your local group of the Sierra Club cannot achieve its goals with money alone. It needs your involvement. Currently, your local Club colleagues are working on coal dust mitigation, sea level rise, climate change, and more.
They work hard and are making a difference, but cannot do it by themselves. If you are not already, please consider becoming involved (check out the multiple ways to get involved in this email!) Meetings are on the second Monday of each month, except June, July, and August. We meet at the Virginia Beach Central Library, 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd., at 7:00 PM. Topics include everything from climate change and sea level rise to edible plants and geocaching.
Jugal Patel, an ODU student and environmental activist, spoke at our meeting on November 10 at 7:00 PM. He  addressed how climate change is affecting all of us and what we can do about it right in our own back yard. His opinions on the issue recently appeared on the opinion page of the Virginian Pilot.
We also love to have fun. For example we recently camped the Deep Creek camp site near the Great Dismal Swamp to enjoy the outdoors and to spend time with fellow Club members. Additionally, frequent outings find us repairing park trails, hiking, biking, and generally enjoying the beautiful area in which we live.
Please join us for our next and subsequent meetings. You already pay dues, so why not get your money’s worth by becoming actively involved?


If you have questions or want to know more about your local Sierra Club group, contact Gary Medlin at 361-5826 or at gmedlindd822@gmail.com.