Education & Resources: Wood Pellet Industry Threatens Forests and Climate

A new report details the wood pellet industry’s threat to North Carolina’s forests and climate.

The Rachel Carson Council, a national environmental research and education group, has released “Clear Cut: Wood Pellet Production, the Destruction of Forests, and the Case for Environmental Justice.” The report describes the booming industry of cutting forests to create wood pellets, which are then used as fuel. It concludes that unchecked wood pellet production will result in severe environmental consequences, including substantial contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of sustainable forests.

“Clear Cut” highlights North Carolina’s experience with the company Enviva, which has recently received a state air quality permit to increase its planned production of pellets at a plant under construction in the Richmond County town of Hamlet, on the South Carolina border. Enviva has three other wood pellet plants already in operation in the state.

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