Dear Friends at NC DENR:
I have been following this issue for some years now. Obviously the Ukraine war has intensified the EEC’s efforts to obtain “clean” energy, a category of which unfortunately includes wood. Wood pellets provide an important source of employment through Enviva’s plant in Ahoskie, and we should be happy about that. As with many public policy decisions, the DENR has to balance economic opportunity and effects of increased pollution. I am too often disappointed in government’s weak response, leaving communities of color and our region in general, cleaning up after industry. I write to oppose any plan that would allow Enviva to expand its current operations. Cutting the emissions from the current plant to decrease particulate emissions from 129.63 tons/year to 45 tons/year would be progress. The same goes for the reduction of volatile organic compound emissions from 391 tons to 125.3 tons annually. (Source: Raleigh News & Observer, 8.21.22). Those are quite big numbers of pollutants! The increased greenhouse gases being emitted are more alarming. We count on our government to protect us, our children and communities from befouled air and water. Please don’t permit the industry to grow without accounting for the environmental costs. I suspect the wood pellet industry will be short lived. And then, what will we be left with?
Thank you for your work, and for considering my views.
Stephen Jaffe
