Environmental groups accuse Jasper County wood pellet mill of violating Clean Air Act
Jasper Pellets, a wood pellet manufacturing plant in Ridgeland, has committed “significant, repeated, and ongoing” violations of the Clean Air Act, three environmental groups say in a letter to the company.
The letter, a notice of intent to sue sent Tuesday, accuses the company of operating the facility and installing new manufacturing equipment without proper permits. The notice gives the company 60 days to “fix the violations” before the environmental groups file a federal lawsuit.
The environmental groups include South Carolina-based Coastal Conservation League, Washington D.C.,-based Environmental Integrity Project, and the Southern Environmental Law Center.
The groups warned Jasper Pellets two years ago that the company would be violating the law if it continued to operate without a specific permit, EIP attorney Patrick Anderson said in a news release.
“Unfortunately, we never heard from them, and sure enough they continue to operate illegally without the permit, forcing our hand,” Anderson said.
Jasper Pellets turns raw wood from trees into compressed pellets that are typically shipped overseas to be used as power-plant fuel. That process can emit more than 100 tons of “volatile organic compounds” per year, meaning it’s a “major source of air pollution” under the Clean Air Act, the release said.
The volatile organic compounds, when combined with sunlight, can produce smog and soot.
The letter says Jasper Pellets never applied for a Title V permit, which ensures people living near the facility would have access to information about emissions and compliance, so it has not been legally operating.
“Compliance with environmental requirements isn’t optional,” said Coastal Conservation League Executive Director Laura Cantral. “We’re committed to making sure that Jasper Pellets doesn’t threaten the health, safety, or quality of life of anyone living near the facility that’s now flagrantly violating the law.”
The Environmental Integrity Project and the Southern Environmental Law Center are representing the Coastal Conservation League in the lawsuit.
Heather Hillaker, an attorney with SELC, said the goal of the notice is to ensure Jasper Pellets is following the law, not to shut down the facility.
“Pollution permits are required for a reason, and that is to make sure a facility like Jasper Pellets is following the same rules as other companies and industries, so those living nearby have a full and fair picture of what is coming out of the smokestacks,” Hillaker said. “This is about providing the neighbors with information they are entitled to under the law.”
The facility obtained its original construction permit in 2010 as Champion Wood Pellets. That company operated from 2014 through 2016, when it closed due to “due to poor market conditions,” the release said.
Jasper Pellets, previously known as Ridgeland Pellet Company, bought the facility in 2018 and restarted operations in 2019. The purchase was boasted as an $8.1 million investment in the area that would create 27 jobs, according to a S.C. Department of Commerce news release. Local and state officials praised the investment in the same release.
This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Environmental groups accuse Jasper County wood pellet mill of violating Clean Air Act."
