On Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, the Pellet Mill Community Impact Final Survey Report was released.
Across the coastal plain of the southeastern United States, there are industrial wood pellet manufacturing facilities — also known as pellet mills — where local trees are chipped, dried, and pressed into small pellets and then shipped overseas to be burned for electricity. Pellet mills emit harmful pollutants, including particulate matter, greenhouse gases, and several toxic pollutants. They use trees taken from local, ecologically important forests. They inundate communities with 24-hours of operating noise and traffic. They are also often located in rural, low-wealth communities of color. ~Executive Summary
The People’s Justice Council had the wonderful opportunity of working with The Southern Environmental Law Center as well as frontline community organizations to get the Pellet Mill Community Impact Survey and Report out into the world. The survey was carried out by a coalition of regional and local groups to gather quantifiable information about the effects of being close to pellet mills.
Pollutants such as particulate matter, greenhouse gasses, and hazardous pollutants are released by pellet mills located in the Southeast Region of the United States. These facilities flood towns with noise and traffic while using trees from nearby woods. Residents have been complaining about these operations' effects on their health, everyday disruptions, and pollution for more than ten years.
This survey is a first of its kind measure of quality-of-life impacts to people living around pellet mills. We intend to continue this research and conduct this study in additional southern communities with pellet mills. We also hope this research can act as a model and be replicated to measure impacts from other polluting industries. ~Executive Summary
According to the results of the survey, people's everyday lives are greatly impacted by pellet mills; the most frequent complaints were about noise, dust, traffic, and air pollution. The goal of the research collected is to carry out and duplicate the study in other areas in the South that have pellet mills, bolstering the testimony of community members in local, state, national, and worldwide lobbying. Pellet mills have significant impacts on the health and quality of life of people living within a 2-mile radius of selected facilities. The survey focused on households within a 2-mile radius, but not on other polluting industries. The survey also excluded questions about forest destruction, wildlife contact, and cultural site identification. The survey adopted a phased approach, with Phase I focusing on five communities across four states.
The results support the stories of low-wealth, communities of color about the quality-of-life impacts of living around pellet mills, emphasizing the need for further research in communities with pellet mills. We, The People’s Justice Council, look forward to Phase II of this initiative and the data collection to support the impacted people's lived experiences.
Comentarios