Mississippi Wood Pellet Plant Faces Lawsuit Over Pollution and Health Concerns
Amite BioEnergy, a wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi owned by Drax, has been producing billions of wood pellets annually since its opening in 2014, mainly for export to the UK and Europe. The plant is part of a cluster of about 30 large pellet mills in the U.S. South, with five mills owned by Drax. Pellet exports reached approximately 10.5 million tons in 2023.
Residents near the Gloster plant have filed a lawsuit alleging exposure to toxic pollutants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methanol, acrolein, and formaldehyde, which they link to health problems such as breathing difficulties. Researchers have documented nocturnal spikes in VOCs near the mill and found that closer proximity correlates with health concerns. Residents also report odors, disruptive noise around 70 decibels, and dust from the mill. Drax denies allegations of dumping, stating it follows federal noise guidelines and mitigates sound.
Regulatory scrutiny has been ongoing: in 2020, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) found the Gloster mill emitted an average of 796 tons per year of VOCs, exceeding permit limits, and assessed a $2.5 million fine. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reached a $3.2 million settlement with Drax in 2022 for air-quality violations without admission of wrongdoing. In 2024, Drax paid $225,000 for exceeding hazardous air pollutant limits.
In 2025, the Mississippi MDEQ initially denied increasing emissions at the plant but reversed its decision in October to allow the mill to become a major source of hazardous pollutants, prompting the recent lawsuit. Drax has responded by installing upgrades at the Gloster plant, including a thermal oxidizer to reduce VOC emissions, and asserts it is making ongoing efforts to improve safety and environmental compliance.
