Wood pellet mills bring toxic air to poor southern communities while powering europe’s “green” energy

While Europe markets wood pellets as a clean alternative to coal, communities in Louisiana and Mississippi are paying a steep health price for this so-called “green” energy. Residents living near three massive wood pellet mills operated by British energy giant Drax report serious breathing problems, constant noise, and air thick with toxic chemicals—all so the UK can power its electrical grid with what it claims is sustainable biomass.

In Gloster, Mississippi, 67-year-old Robert Weatherspoon used to jog and tend his garden. Now he struggles to breathe in his own living room, telling friends “I thought I was dying last night.” His experience mirrors that of hundreds of residents in three predominantly Black, low-income communities where Drax operates mills that churn trees into peanut-sized pellets for overseas shipment. EPA data shows these areas are exposed to more toxic air pollution than most of the country, with substantially higher rates of cancer, asthma, and heart disease.

The mills have racked up millions in fines for pollution violations over five years, releasing cancer-causing chemicals including formaldehyde, methanol, and volatile organic compounds at levels far exceeding their permits. In one case, Mississippi regulators discovered a Drax facility was emitting three times its legal limit. Yet these penalties barely dent the company’s billion-dollar profits. Louisiana regulators don’t even test for hazardous air pollutants at Drax facilities, despite knowing they can cause cancer and birth defects. As one resident put it: “We’re being poisoned slowly, right before our eyes.”