The renewable energy boom continues to grow across the world. We must examine the true implications of energy projects like these. Environmental racism is when specific communities, like BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) neighborhoods, are subjected to more environmental harms than their white neighbors.
Communities experiencing environmental racism might be subjected to:
- Higher levels of air pollution, including fine particulate matter (microscopic dust) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Changes in local water quality
- Increased greenhouse gas emissions from plants nearby
- Devastating clearcuts and intense industrial logging
- Increased impacts of climate change
- Decreased property values because of nearby industrial activity
Renewable Energy And Environmental Quality
Not all renewable energy is made the same. Some renewable energy, like wind and solar, has a relatively low footprint on the communities where it’s located. Other renewable energies, like wood pellet production, have a much higher impact on nearby community groups.
What are wood pellets?
Biomass energy, or bioenergy, creates energy by burning living materials like plants and trees. The wood pellet industry uses trees to make wood pellets. It then ships them to Europe and Asia. There it burns them in power plants to create electricity. Wood pellet plants are as dirty and problematic as coal plants.
Wood pellet production often occurs in low income communities of color. These communities often have little access to political power and are vulnerable to environmental exploitation. The wood pellet production process creates air pollution, destroys forests and/or wetlands, and generates noise pollution 24/7. It disrupts the lives of people living in nearby communities.
Wood pellet mills compared to true renewable energy projects
Truly low-carbon technologies like solar and wind energy are often cheaper and don’t harm environmental quality. They also have lower carbon emissions. While biomass energy projects may receive renewable energy credits, they need a constant source of forest biomass to operate. So as long as biomass power plants are operating, they need to cut down trees to produce energy. Unlike better renewable energy (wind, solar), this produces a lot of carbon emissions.
Companies that produce wood pellets have been saying for years that it’s harmless. They claim to take less wood than paper and packaging companies. However, there’s been a lot of growth in the biomass industry. As a result, Enviva is on track to become the fourth largest wood user in the US. There’s nothing small about that impact.
The greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution wood pellets create
Producing and burning wood pellets creates greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. It can also produce a lot of dust. This is called particulate matter. The carbon emissions associated with burning wood pellets are even greater than when fossil fuels like coal are burned. This is because wood pellets are less dense, so they require more heat and time to produce the same amount of energy as coal.
Unfortunately, this means that wood pellets are bad for climate change mitigation. Wood pellet production facilities simply release too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to help the fight against climate change. They also degrade and destroy natural forests to get their forest biomass material. Collectively, wood pellet production means:
- noise pollution
- truck traffic
- more air pollution and carbon emissions
- fewer natural forests and fewer healthy forests
- and more
Wood pellet production facilities are simply a no-go for both the climate and communities.
More about wood pellet production:
- An overview of the wood pellet industry in the US South
- The Wood Pellet Industry in North Carolina (beginning on Slide 13)
Air pollution from wood pellet facilities violated laws
We’ve explored air pollution in detail, but here’s what you need to know. Wood pellet mills emit thousands of tons of particular matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) each year. All of these air pollutants can cause or worsen a range of health conditions. From asthma and heart disease to cancer. That’s a pretty steep price tag for supposedly renewable energy.
More about air pollution from wood pellet production:
- Environmental Integrity Project report on air permit limits
- Drax fined over $2 million for air quality violations
Wood pellet facilities and environmental justice
Extractive, polluting industries like the wood pellet industry have been locating in rural communities for decades. These communities continue to struggle with poverty and unemployment, while industry executives who live outside the community prosper. Both property values and livability may decline in areas near wood pellet factories.
The wood pellet industry is twice as likely to put their dirty plants in Black or minority neighborhoods than in white ones. The industry treats these communities as dumping grounds and exposes residents to noise, dust, odors, and air pollution. This is an environmental injustice.
Read more:
- Siting of wood pellet production facilities in environmental justice communities
- Burning biomass: A Drax-tic idea and bad for environmental justice
- Bioenergy Facilities in the Carolinas and Their Potential Environmental Justice Impacts
- Forests as Fuel? An Investigation of Biomass’ Role in a Just Energy Transition (Restricted access)
- Wood Waste and Race: The Industrialization of Biomass Energy Technologies and Environmental Justice (Restricted access)
In the US South, wood pellet mills are often placed in low-income communities of color, which are more likely to experience environmental injustice. These “environmental justice communities” often already have other sources of pollution in or near their them like:
- Natural gas pipelines or compressor facilities
- Industrial train stations for transporting goods, not people
- CAFOs – concentrated animal feeding operations
- Other large manufacturing facilities
- Coal ash or coal power plants
Given this pattern of injustice, why does the biomass industry continue to operate in these communities? Foreign subsidies drive wood pellet production. Billions of US dollars prop up an otherwise unprofitable wood venture. All at the cost of the communities where wood pellets are made.
Below, you’ll find information about each operating wood pellet facility in the Southern United States. You can find the full table of referenced statistics here.
Environmental Injustice in Alabama: Wood Pellets
There are three wood pellet mills in Alabama. They produce over 1 million tons of pellets per year. The three counties where wood pellet mills are located are: DeKalb, Marengo, and Pickens counties. Here are some facts about all three Alabama counties where wood pellet production occurs:
- Individual income is below the state average
- The percentage of people who receive SNAP benefits is above the state average
- The percentage of protected lands is below the state average
- There are 27 major polluters across these counties
- Median home price is below the state average
- The percentage of owner-occupied homes is below the state average
- The percentage of people living in poverty is above the state average
Collectively, these wood pellet production facilities have likely clearcut over 167,000 acres of forest biomass in Alabama.
Environmental Injustice in Arkansas: Wood Pellets
The Highlands Pine Bluff facility is located in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas. Highland Pellets owns it. It opened in 2016 and produces 750,000 tons per year of wood pellets. The county has:
- A 20.3% poverty rate, 4.3% higher than the state average
- Only slightly more than half of residents (54%) report living in housing that they own
- The number of residents receiving SNAP benefits is higher than the state average (20.8% vs. 11.3% statewide)
- There are eighteen major polluters in Jefferson County, Arkansas (Title V permit holders)
Since opening in 2016, this facility has likely clearcut over 108,000 acres of forest biomass to produce wood pellets.
Environmental Injustice in Florida: Wood Pellets
The Enviva Cottondale facility is located in Cottondale, Jackson County, Florida. Enviva owns it. It opened in 2008 and produces 730,000 tons of wood pellets per year. The county has:
- An environmental justice community designation because of its poverty rate and high percentage of people of color
- A 20.3% poverty rate, 4.3% higher than the state average
- Less than two-thirds of residents (60.1%) report living in housing that they own
- Owner-occupied units are worth $169,000 less than the state average ($79,400 vs. $248,700 statewide)
- The number of residents receiving SNAP benefits is higher than the state average (18.5% vs. 13.2% statewide)
- There are 18 major polluters in Jackson County, Florida (Title V permit holders)
Since opening in 2008, this facility has likely clearcut over 245,000 acres of forest biomass to produce wood pellets.
Environmental Injustice in Georgia: Wood Pellets
There are six wood pellet mills in Georgia. They produce over 2 million tons of pellets per year. The six counties where wood pellet mills are located are: Ware, Jeff Davis, Appling, Brantley, Telfair, and Emanuel counties. Here are some facts about all six counties where wood pellet production occurs in Georgia:
- Individual income is below the state average
- The percentage of people who receive SNAP benefits is above the state average
- The percentage of protected lands is below the state average
- There are 23 major polluters across the six counties
- Median home price is below the state average
- The percentage of owner-occupied homes is below the state average
- The percentage of people living in poverty is above the state average
Collectively, these six wood pellet production facilities have likely clearcut over 376,000 acres of forest biomass in Georgia.
Environmental Injustice in Louisiana: Wood Pellets
There are two wood pellet mills in Louisiana. They produce over 1 million tons of pellets per year. The two counties where wood pellet mills are located are: Morehouse Parish and LaSalle Parish. Here are some facts about both counties where wood pellet production occurs in Louisiana:
- Individual income is below the state average
- There are 14 major polluters across the two counties
- Median home price is below the state average
Collectively, these wood pellet production facilities have likely clearcut over 151,000 acres of forest biomass in Louisiana.
Environmental Injustice in Mississippi: Wood Pellets
There are four wood pellet mills in Mississippi. They produce over 2 million tons of pellets per year. The four counties where wood pellet mills are located are: Amite, George, Monroe, and Clarke counties. Here are some facts about all counties where wood pellet production occurs in Mississippi:
- Individual income is below the state average
- The percentage of people who receive SNAP benefits is above the state average
- There are 25 major polluters across the counties
- Median home price is below the state average
- The percentage of owner-occupied homes is below the state average
Collectively, these four wood pellet production facilities have likely clearcut over 172,000 acres of forest biomass in Mississippi.
Environmental Injustice in North Carolina: Wood Pellets
There are four wood pellet mills in North Carolina. They produce over 2.5 million tons of pellets per year. The four counties where wood pellet mills are located are: Northampton, Sampson, Richmond, and Hertford counties. Here are some facts about all counties where wood pellet production occurs in North Carolina:
- Individual income is below the state average
- The percentage of people who receive SNAP benefits is more than double the state average
- There are 82 major polluters across the counties
- Median home price is below the state average
- The percentage of owner-occupied homes is below the state average
Collectively, these four wood pellet production facilities have likely clearcut over 511,000 acres of forest biomass in North Carolina.
Environmental Injustice in South Carolina: Wood Pellets
The Enviva Greenwood facility is the world’s largest wood pellet company. It opened in 2018 and produces 600,000 tons per year of wood pellets. The county has:
- An environmental justice community designation because of its poverty rate and high percentage of people of color
- A 15.9% poverty rate, higher than the state average (14.5%)
- Less than half of residents (43.9%) report living in housing that they own
- Owner-occupied units are worth less than half the state average ($90,600 vs. $181,800 statewide)
- The number of residents receiving SNAP benefits is more than double the state average (26.0% vs. 10.7% statewide)
- There are seven major polluters in this county (Title V permit holders)
Since opening in 2018, this facility has likely clearcut over 72,000 acres of forest biomass to produce wood pellets.
Environmental Injustice in Tennessee: Wood Pellets
The MRE Jasper facility opened in 2017 and produces 240,000 tons per year of wood pellets. The county has:
- A 16.2% poverty rate, higher than the state average (13.7%)
- 83.1% of residents report living in housing that they own
- Owner-occupied units are worth less than the state average ($126,500 vs. $193,700 statewide)
- The number of residents receiving SNAP benefits is more than the state average (12.1% vs. 10.7% statewide)
- There are seven major polluters in this county (Title V permit holders)
Since opening in 2017, this facility has likely clearcut over 34,000 acres of forest biomass to produce wood pellets.
Environmental Injustice in Texas: Wood Pellets
Graanul Invest Group owns the Woodville Pellets facility. Graanul is the second largest pellet producer in the world and the largest in Europe. Their Woodville Pellets facility opened in 2014 and produces 500,000 tons of wood pellets per year. The county has:
- A 17.5% poverty rate, higher than the state average (14.2%)
- Just over half (55.2%) of residents report living in housing that they own
- Owner-occupied units are worth less than the state average ($127,400 vs. $202,600 statewide)
- The number of residents receiving SNAP benefits is nearly double the state average (20.4% vs. 10.7% statewide)
- There are five major polluters in this county (Title V permit holders)
Since opening in 2014, this facility has likely clearcut over 108,000 acres of forest biomass to produce wood pellets.
Environmental Injustice in Virginia: Wood Pellets
The Enviva Southampton facility is the world’s largest wood pellet company. It opened in 2015 and produces 745,000 tons of wood pellets per year. The county has:
- A 19.6% poverty rate, higher than the state average (10.3%)
- Just over half of residents (51.9%) report living in housing that they own
- Owner-occupied units are worth less than the state average ($178,800 vs. $295,500 statewide)
- The number of residents receiving SNAP benefits is higher than the state average (19.4% vs. 10.7% statewide)
- There are 11 major polluters in this county (Title V permit holders)
Since opening in 2015, this facility has likely clearcut over 143,000 acres of forest biomass to produce wood pellets.
Where to Go from Here
Wood pellet production is not the economic boon that it claims to be. As you now know, it’s often propped up through polluting vulnerable local communities. There are no environmental benefits to woody biomass production. It’s not a cost-effective strategy to combat climate change. The more people learn that the biomass industry is a scam, the better chance we have of ending it.
Download and share this fact sheet on the environmental injustice of bioenergy.
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