Mississippi Sides with Drax as Gloster Now Faces More Pollution
Historic Permit Denial is Overturned as the State Caves to Profits Over People
Jackson, Mississippi – The MS Department of Environmental Quality approved Drax’s permit request on October 15. This is a stunning change from their historic decision in April to deny the permit. This lets the UK wood pellet producer boost pollution at its Amite facility in Gloster.
MDEQ’s permit board rejected Drax’s permit six months ago. But now they’ve changed their minds. They approved a Title V permit for the facility, which is a “major source” of air pollutants. This will let the wood pellet processing facility raise its emissions.
Gloster & Drax
Gloster is a rural community of primarily Black residents. The community has been fighting this Drax facility for a decade. The wood pellet plant has faced repeated fines for pollution violations. In April, the permitting board voted unanimously to deny the permit. They cited Drax’s excessive violations as a main reason.
Dr. Krystal Martin is the co-founder of the Greater Greener Gloster project. She said:
“Although I was hoping for a positive outcome, I was not at all surprised by the decision. It’s clear that Drax has used every tactic to sway the decision in their favor. MDEQ has basically given Drax the green light to pollute even more. Our local and state governments seem to care more about profit than about public health, safety, and wellbeing.”
Community lawsuit against Drax
After the decision, the community filed a federal lawsuit against Drax. They claim the company has violated the Clean Air Act for almost ten years. The complaint cites the loss of property value and safe use of the plaintiffs’ homes. It asks for relief and penalties for these losses. They’re also exploring further options to appeal the latest decision.
Rowaa Ahmar is the former Head of Public Affairs and Policy for Drax. Last year, she revealed that the company misled the public and shareholders. She exposed that Drax lied about its sustainability and business operations. Rather than fix the problems, they took her to court and lost. Since then, the UK government said it will cut Drax’s subsidies by half starting in 2027. Ofgem is the country’s main energy regulator. They announced a major audit of Drax’s supply chain. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority is investigating Drax. They want to know if the company’s sourcing practices are truly sustainable.
The dangers of wood pellet production
Wood pellet production facilities are harming forests and polluting communities. This is happening all across the US South. People traveled from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. Even members of other communities facing biomass production facilities turned out. All to attend the permit hearing in Jackson, MS. They showed up in solidarity with the residents of Gloster.
Kadin Love, Gulf South Manager for Dogwood Alliance, said:
“This is a small setback after making history in April. People from Gloster, across Mississippi, the South, and around the world are rising up to say no to dirty biomass and Drax. Drax has polluted this community for over a decade. Our state has let its people down, but we will win soon.”