To: James Squires, CEO, President & Director and Wick Moorman, Executive Chairman & Chairman of Executive Committee
NORFOLK SOUTHERN CEO JAMES SQUIRES: STOP THE COAL DUST
CEO Squires and NS Board of Directors, please respond to the pleas of your neighbors and other concerned citizens: Stop the release of toxic, filthy coal dust (containing lead, arsenic, mercury, other known toxins and carcinogens) from your Norfolk, VA, Lamberts Point Coal Terminal now! Enclose the dumpers, recommended by your own consultant in 1973, and ship loading conveyances and cover the coal cars. Getting a "grandfather exemption" by DEQ from the Clean Air Act does not relieve you of a moral and socially responsible duty to protect the public from adverse health and environmental effects, and mitigate the nuisance of frequent cleanings caused by your negligent release of fugitive coal dust from your terminal operations and coal cars.
Why is this important?
I, along with thousands of other residents, live less than 3 miles from Norfolk Southern’s Lamberts Point Coal Pier, the largest in North America. That facility annually emits over 90,000 lbs of fugitive coal dust from its terminal operations and 200,000 coal cars. It rains down on the people and property in the surrounding neighborhoods and miles beyond. Along with the nuisance factor of frequent cleanings, remember coal dust contains arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals. It has been linked to asthma attacks, neuro-developmental delays in children, bronchitis, lung cancer, pneumonia, emphysema, heart disease and premature death.
Taking the reasonable measures of covering the dumpers (recommended by its own consultant in 1973), the conveyors and chute loading operations and the coal cars would significantly reduce the volume of coal dust released into the air, the soil, the river water and inhaled into people's lungs. Over the past 50 years, the estimated cumulative amount of coal dust released comes to 2 million lbs. Taking the requested mitigation measures would serve to help protect public and environmental health at a onetime estimated cost to the company of 1% of its $11.6 billion in annual revenue. If NS could afford to pay its CEO $13.5 million in 2014 ($6,500/hour or $260,000/week), it can easily take measures to STOP THE COAL DUST.
Taking the reasonable measures of covering the dumpers (recommended by its own consultant in 1973), the conveyors and chute loading operations and the coal cars would significantly reduce the volume of coal dust released into the air, the soil, the river water and inhaled into people's lungs. Over the past 50 years, the estimated cumulative amount of coal dust released comes to 2 million lbs. Taking the requested mitigation measures would serve to help protect public and environmental health at a onetime estimated cost to the company of 1% of its $11.6 billion in annual revenue. If NS could afford to pay its CEO $13.5 million in 2014 ($6,500/hour or $260,000/week), it can easily take measures to STOP THE COAL DUST.