DEQ received a grant of $526,603 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate air quality related to coal dust in two historic Tidewater communities. DEQ monitors common air pollutants such as particulate matter, 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. 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. This project aims to respond to historical community concerns by deploying a series of air quality monitors and sensors to measure air toxics along with particulate pollution in the ambient air in Lamberts Point and the Southeast community of Newport News.

DEQ is working with two Tidewater communities—Lambert’s Point in Norfolk and the East End Community in Newport News—to study the potential health risks associated with dust coming from nearby coal storage and transportation facilities. This project will measure and analyze toxic metals and particulates in the air within the study area, and will use this information to conduct health assessments. TAME will involve community members throughout the study to help them understand and improve health outcomes.

EPA approved air pollution monitors will be deployed in each community to measure particulate matter at 2.5 microns (PM 2.5) and 10 microns (PM 10) in the “ambient” air. Ambient air refers to the air all around you. These monitors produce regulatory grade data that will be used by the Virginia Department of Health to produce Health Risk Assessments for each community.

As a separate part of the project, DEQ is also offering PurpleAir sensors to residents of Lamberts Point and the Southeast community of Newport News. These sensors measure particulate matter pollution in the air, and only require an outdoor power outlet and a Wi-Fi connection to run. It is important to note that these sensors are designed for citizen science and do not produce regulatory grade data. We have given out 8 Purple Air sensors so far. If you are interested in hosting a sensor or if you have any questions about the project, you can find contact information on the webpage, we would love to hear from you!

It is important to make the distinction between PurpleAir sensors and EPA approved air pollution monitors. PurpleAir sensors are designed for citizen science and do not produce regulatory grade data, as noted above; however, they can be used to track data trends and function to advice citizens of local air quality so they can be proactive in caring for their own health needs. EPA approved air pollution monitors are designed to produce regulatory grade data that drives regulatory decision-making. These monitors are sited using strict criteria from the EPA.

Particulate matter in the air can be many sizes, but we are focusing on PM 2.5 and PM10 in this study because they are small enough to get into the lungs and are therefore significant to human health concerns. PM10 is short for “particulate pollution less than 10 microns in diameter.” There are laws/standards that require each state to keep PM (and other pollution) levels below a certain amount. It can aggravate heart/lung issues, especially for sensitive people, children, and the elderly.

There will be periodic updates provided to the community up until monitors are installed and then throughout the 18-month study period. All data collected will be public information. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) will work with DEQ to evaluate the data collected, conduct health 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. A Health Assessment answers:

• What are the health concerns?
• Is there an exposure?
• Is there a health impact?
• What are the appropriate actions?

Community members have been involved throughout the project. DEQ has had targeted meetings with members of the community and local government. DEQ also designed and initiated a survey tool to gather community input on how citizens prefer engagement and involvement with this project. The survey’s purpose was to allow all voices to be heard without bias and to solicit community input at the earliest stages of the project. The TAME project held initial community engagement meetings in April 2022 to inform the installation and operation of air monitors and PurpleAir sensors in both communities. The grant proposed update sessions every six months within each of the two communities for the length of the project. However, DEQ is committed to going above and beyond the proposed engagement scope of the grant through enhanced opportunities for community involvement. These efforts have included scheduling bi-monthly meetings for community members and stakeholders involved in the project to update partners and keep them informed about project progress. Other efforts have included attending community events and celebrations, canvassing neighborhoods with flyers, social media outreach, placing yard signs in the community, scheduling community “office hours” for in-person engagement, tabling outside of local churches, and completing community walking tours with residents.

We can’t speak to the data before we have seen it, but appropriate conversations will be had with VDH, DEQ, and local partners. By collecting more local air quality information, DEQ and community members will be able to better understand public health risks and will help determine if there is need for long term particulate or air toxics monitoring sites in these communities.

DEQ is tasked with protecting the environment in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which protects people. DEQ implements air, water, and land protection programs across Virginia. DEQ also issues permits and coordinates reporting for many types of pollution. In addition to DEQ’s permitting program, there are also compliance and enforcement programs designed to ensure permit requirements are being met. DEQ also monitors/studies pollution across the state. For example, as we talked about earlier, DEQ studies ambient air quality across the state through our Air Quality Monitoring network. DEQ and other state and federal natural resources and environmental agencies are also responsible for protecting the environment through various federal programs: such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and more.

Placing regulatory monitors requires meeting very detailed EPA siting criteria to certify the data collected as regulatory grade. It has been challenging establishing several ground-level sites in each community that meet the needed criteria, which includes access to power and security measures (fencing) around the monitors This project is designed to specifically look at the ambient air (or the air all around you) on the ground level, for an average community member undertaking normal daily activities in the community. This creates a challenge in such a small study area; however, we have been able to establish four air monitoring sites in Lamberts Point and five air monitoring sites in East End. We are currently working through the necessary electrical contracting to install those monitors.

Other challenges have included finding citizen volunteers to host PurpleAir sensors their community. We are working through community member questions to hopefully continue to alleviate any concerns toward installing a sensor on their homes. We anticipate that we will continue to run into challenges and commit to being transparent about them with the community as they arise.

As part of the process to place monitors, DEQ has produced a sound study at the request of the Norfolk City government to help community members evaluate the addition of monitoring equipment to their neighborhoods. The monitors will create sound approximately as loud as rain. Read the sound study here.

July 2022 Lambert's Point workshop recording
July 2022 East End workshop recording

October 2022 community meeting presentation - DEQ
October 2022 community meeting presentation - Virginia Department of Health

May 2023 Southeast Community Meeting

May 2023 Lambert's Point Community Meeting