‘These residents deserve clean air’: Drax sued over emissions at US pellet plant
A GROUP of residents near one of Drax’s US wood pellet facilities have filed a lawsuit against Drax Biomass and its subsidiaries, alleging that the facility “unlawfully” released “massive amounts of toxic pollutants into their community”.
The lawsuit relates to Drax’s Amite BioEnergy wood pellet facility, located in Gloster, Mississippi. As well as its Selby power station, Drax Group operates a number of facilities across the US which it uses to produce biomass wood pellets, the fuel used at its North Yorkshire site.
Drax said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit, but could not comment on the details of ongoing legal matters. It added: “Our commitment to the communities where we operate remains unchanged. We strive to be a good neighbour in our communities and to support their wellbeing and prosperity.”
Singleton Schreiber, the firm which filed the lawsuit, said its plaintiff will seek injunctive relief, civil penalties, and “damages for the harm plaintiffs have suffered, including diminished property values, and the loss of safe use and enjoyment of their homes”. It said this relates to claims that the company, “for nearly a decade, unlawfully released massive amounts of toxic pollutants into (the plantiff’s) community, violating the federal Clean Air Act and Mississippi law.”
The announcement came the day after Drax won an appeal to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to increase its permitted emissions limits at the Gloster facility.
In April, campaigners in Gloster announced an “unexpected victory” after Drax was denied a request to increase its emissions limits at the site, leading to the firm launching its appeal.
The firm added that it was “pleased” the MDEQ had now approved its new permits, and said: “As part of that agency review process, we undertook an air toxic modeling report that reviewed emissions and commissioned a toxicologist report that reviewed 2021 and 2023 emissions. Both concluded that there is no scientific evidence linking Hazardous Air Pollutant emissions from the Gloster Plant to any adverse health outcomes in the Gloster area.
“From 2022 to the end of 2024, we invested around $130m in improvements to our facilities across North America, including in emissions reduction and abatement technology.”
Drax was previously fined $2.5m in 2021 for breaching air pollution limits at the Mississippi site. The firm also last year agreed to pay a civil penalty of $225,000 for allegedly exceeding its permitted limits of hazardous air pollutants at the facility.
Some Gloster residents have long claimed that the emissions from Drax’s facility cause health problems in the local area, including respiratory issues.
Shani Butler-Anderson, counsel at Singleton Schreiber, said: “For nearly a decade, families in Gloster have lived with the constant fear of what they’re breathing. No one should have to choose between their health and their home. Drax must be held accountable for the harm it has caused.”
Jerry Norwood, Mayor of Gloster, earlier this month said in an opinion piece in a local newspaper, that some of those speaking out against Drax’s operations had been “riled up by outside influencers who are not from Mississippi”.