Portland passes measure to ban waterfront coal stockpile

An open air coal stockpile on the Portland waterfront will have to be covered and eventually removed under a new ordinance approved by the city council.

The measure is a victory for local activists concerned about dust pollution from the pile. Organizers collected enough signatures to put restrictions on coal storage on the Portland ballot this fall.

Todd Dana, owner of Asia West off Commercial Street, told Portland city councilors at a special meeting Monday that his art and furniture store and surrounding property are often covered in black dust from the 40,000-ton coal pile next door.

"While this coal pile may serve a specific industrial — albeit outdated — industrial purpose, I believe there must be a way to balance that with the basic right of neighboring property owners and reside