Wood pellets production boomed to feed EU demand. It’s come at a cost for Black people in the South

By James Pollard, Julie Watson and Stephen Smith
The Washington Post
July 26, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

GLOSTER, Mississippi — This southern Mississippi town’s expansive wood pellet plant was so close to Shelia Mae Dobbins’ home that… industrial residues coated her truck and she no longer enjoys spending time in the air outdoors. …Wood pellet production skyrocketed across the U.S. South. It helped feed demand in the European Union for renewable energy, as those coutries sought to replace fossil fuels such as coal. But many residents near plants find the process left their air dustier and people sicker. Billions of dollars are available for these projects under President Joe Biden’s signature law combating climate change. The administration is weighing whether to open up tax credits for companies to burn wood pellets for energy. As producers expand west, environmentalists want the government to stop incentivizing what they call a misguided attempt to curb carbon emissions that pollute communities of color while presently warming the atmosphere.

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