From a Colorado power plant to a coal mine in Illinois, industrial facilities around the country have installed towering porous wind screens, keeping fugitive dust on-site rather than letting it drift toward nearby homes. A consultant’s study now under review recommends the same approach for Newport News, Virginia, calling for 80-foot screens around open coal stockpiles at two waterfront terminals where fine coal dust escapes at rates as high as 99 percent under prevailing winds.
The two terminals, Dominion Terminal Associates and Kinder Morgan’s adjacent Piers IX and X, sit along the James River waterfront and handle large volumes of bituminous coal through open-air stockpiles that can reach 70 to 90 feet in height. Coal dust is generated by wind moving across the piles as well as during routine stacking and reclaiming operations. Using computational fluid dynamics, a type of computer airflow simulation, Dust Solutions, Inc. (DSI) of Beaufort, South Carolina, found that between 87 and 99 percent of fine coal particles leave the terminal boundary without a barrier in place, carrying particulate matter toward residential neighborhoods located several hundred meters away.
A consultant recommends 80-foot porous wind screens for Newport News coal terminals. Similar barriers already operate at industrial facilities nationwide, from Illinois to Colorado.
Among the configurations tested, an 80-foot partial-wrap fence covering roughly half to three-quarters of the stockpile perimeter produced the strongest results. Under the most common wind direction from the southwest, that design cut the share of fine particles leaving the terminal from nearly 95 percent down to about 10 percent. The report recommends an 80-foot fence built from 50 percent porous material, meaning air passes through half its surface area, configured as a partial wrap rather than a full enclosure, which often allowed more dust to escape due to altered internal airflow.
Porous wind screens of the type recommended in the study have been installed at coal and industrial sites elsewhere in the country, offering a sense of what the barriers look like at industrial scale. A Wisconsin power plant operates a 100-foot, 2,500-foot-long screen. A Colorado coal facility has a similarly tall barrier running 1,700 feet. Comparable installations include a 70-foot screen at a coal mine in Illinois and a 40-foot barrier stretching more than 3,000 feet at a Montana ash pond. Similar structures have been erected at cement and petroleum coke facilities in Egypt.
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Recreation & Events
The City of Newport News and the Denbigh Lions Club will host the 66th Annual Denbigh Day Parade and Festival on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 14302 Old Courthouse Way. The Newport News Tourism Development Office promotes the community event.
Great Food Truck Festival coming to Newport News this September - The Great Food Truck Festival will be scheduled for September 19, 2026, at 900 Bland Boulevard in Newport News, Virginia. According to the Newport News Tourism Development Office, admission requires an eight dollar ticket. The festival coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month Restaurant Week, running through September 29, when participating local restaurants offer special deals and menu offerings celebrating Hispanic cuisine and culture.
Learn to Play Day introduces Sorcery and Flesh and Blood games - The Newport News Tourism Development Office will promote a Learn to Play Day event featuring Sorcery and Flesh and Blood games on September 20, 2026, at Tap N Roll in Newport News. The event offers newcomers an opportunity to learn these trading card games in a welcoming environment at the gaming venue.
Newport News Hispanic Film Series Discussion Coming This Fall - The Newport News Tourism Development Office will host a Hispanic Film Series Discussion featuring multiple screenings and discussions scheduled for September 22, September 29 and October 6, 2026, at 1 Avenue of the Arts in Newport News, Virginia. The programming coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, which also include a Restaurant Week from September 19-29 offering special dining experiences at local participating restaurants.
Newport News hosts Latino folklore scavenger hunt event - Newport News will host a Latino Folklore Scavenger Hunt at Pearl Bailey Library from Sept. 23-30. The free event, open to children ages 0-17 with no registration required, invites participants to follow clues inspired by Latin American folk tales, collect tokens, and redeem them for treasures. The scavenger hunt coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month and Restaurant Week celebrations in the city.
Cozzys Comedy Club announces September and October entertainment schedule - Cozzys Comedy Club will host multiple entertainment events through October. The schedule includes comedian Eric Grady performing September 18-19, followed by Sundays/Texas Hold’em from September 20 through October 4, Comedy Open Mic nights from September 24 through October 1 with comedian Ralph Anthony performing September 25-26, a Making Strides for Breast Cancer fundraiser on September 30, and performances by Jeremy Alder October 2-3.
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