Drax accused of driving environmental racism after further pollution claims against wood pellet mills in US deep south Drax accused of driving environmental racism after further pollution claims against wood pellet mills in US deep south

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On top of this, the company agreed a further $1.6m for claims against its LaSalle pellet plant in Urania, Louisiana.

All three pellet plants have now been required to install systems to reduce their air pollution emissions, known as Best Available Control Technology, or BACT. However, it is not yet clear whether this technology has succeeded in bringing VOC emissions at all three plants down to permitted limits.

Draxs latest environmental, social and governance report states that in 2021 VOC emissions across the three sites totaled 1,202 tonnes. This was a huge drop from their total VOC emissions the previous year – 2,983 tonnes – but still well above the combined total permitted for the three sites. According to our analysis of their current permits, the three sites between them should emit no more than 636 tonnes per year.

However, of the three sites, only Morehouse had BACT installed for the full year. The technology was installed in LaSalle in February 2021, and at Amite in July that same year. It therefore remains to be seen whether these changes can bring emissions down to permitted levels across all sites.

Draxs annual report, published March 2022, indicates that the company may still have further work to do on VOCs, stating that Drax is planning to undertake a program of work to establish a baseline to understand VOC emissions and impacts at their operational sites and work is currently underway to develop a pilot program in this regard for 2022.

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