(The following story by Shelley Terry appeared on the Star Beacon website on June 2.)
ASHTABULA, Ohio — Walnut Boulevard residents are see red over black coal dust.
Led by Trudy Severino of Walnut Boulevard, the residents asked city officials for help Monday night after learning the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency recently granted Norfolk Southern Corp. five air permits for its coal dock at 10 Bridge St.
City Manager Anthony Cantagallo offered more than help. He offered to officially object to the EPA’s permits. City Council then unanimously authorized him to do so.
“Norfolk Southern doesn’t care; Norfolk Southern is not a good corporation neighbor,” Cantagallo said. “The coal dust just spills out into the river and air.”
The Ohio EPA came to town in early December for a public hearing to discuss the draft renewal air permits issued to Norfolk Southern Corp.
More than two dozen people, including Cantagallo and many Walnut Boulevard residents, attended the meeting held at the Ashtabula Marine Museum. The purpose of the meeting was to accept citizen comments for the record before any of the railroad’s permits are renewed, EPA officials said that night.
Comments, both oral and written, were accepted, and several residents complained publicly about the coal dust being blown into the air from the open-air coal storage.
Cantagallo stood up and drilled EPA officials about tests, inspections and control measures, including spraying water on the coal piles. Even so, the EPA renewed the permits Thursday.
Cantagallo circulated photos he took Friday of coal dust in the Harbor.
City Auditor Michael Zullo said it’s terrible at the marina. He cleaned coal dust off his boat two days in a row this past weekend.
Rick Brewer of the Ashtabula River Partnership said the same.
“Dust is in the boats and on the boats,” he said. “It can’t be good to ingest it.”
Trudy Severino said the residents will back city officials “100 percent” if they will appeal the EPA permits.
“We have a beautiful town,” she said. “We don’t want it ruined.”