Gloria Alonso Cruz was just getting started on environmental justice work at a community organization in Stockton, California when she discovered a proposal to export wood pellets from the town’s port to overseas energy markets.
Golden State Natural Resources is planning to establish two wood pellet plants in Lassen and Tuolumne counties, aiming to export a million tons per year. Rita Vaughan Frost, forest advocate at Natural Resources Defense Council, warns that the entire process of producing pellets poses environmental justice and pollution risks.
From logging trees to shipping pellets overseas, every step in the production chain comes with environmental concerns. The proposal allows for harvesting trees from sensitive ecosystems within a 100-mile radius of the processing plants, including national forests. Burning wood pellets generates more pollution per unit of electricity than coal, worsening the climate emergency.
In a region already burdened with pollution, the lack of regulations to protect against cumulative impacts puts communities at risk. Industries like the wood pellet biomass industry often exploit overburdened areas, exacerbating environmental injustices.
With federal standards failing to address the full scope of pollution faced by communities, advocates are concerned about the impact of the wood pellet industry in California. The company’s claims of preventing wildfires and providing renewable energy are viewed as distractions from sound wildfire prevention strategies.
As the industry prepares to expand in California, advocates warn of irreparable damage to forests and communities. With alternative energy sources available, sacrificing forests and communities for the wood pellet industry is unnecessary.
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is actively working to confront the climate crisis and protect public health. Learn more about their efforts at http://www.nrdc.org and follow them on Twitter @NRDC.
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing, and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Learn more at http://www.nrdc.org and follow on Twitter @NRDC.
