British energy giant’s wood pellet mills leave southern communities breathing toxic air while europe claims “green” power

While Europe celebrates wood pellets as a clean energy solution, residents in small Southern towns are paying a devastating health price for this so-called “green” alternative. British energy company Drax operates three massive wood pellet mills in Louisiana and Mississippi, converting American trees into fuel for European power plants—but leaving predominantly Black, low-income communities choking on toxic emissions.

In Gloster, Mississippi, 67-year-old Robert Weatherspoon once loved jogging and gardening. Now he struggles to breathe, whispering to friends, “I thought I was dying last night.” His story echoes throughout this town of 850 residents, where the 2014 opening of Drax’s Amite Bioenergy mill coincided with a wave of respiratory problems. EPA data shows Gloster is exposed to more toxic air pollution than most of America, with cancer, asthma, and heart disease rates substantially above national averages.

The mills have racked up hundreds of pollution violations over five years, resulting in $6 million in fines—pocket change for a company earning over $1 billion annually. Internal documents reveal Drax systematically underreported emissions, releasing three times more volatile organic compounds than permitted. These include formaldehyde, methanol, and other carcinogens that can penetrate deep into lungs and even reach the brain. Meanwhile, residents report constant noise, sawdust coating their cars, and worsening health problems, particularly at night when pollution spikes mysteriously occur.

The bitter irony is stark: while Drax markets “sustainable biomass” to power Britain’s electrical grid and receives government subsidies for fighting climate change, communities like Gloster, Urania, and Bastrop—all with poverty rates around 30-40%—bear the toxic burden of this supposedly clean energy revolution.