Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

GLOSTER – Renewable energy company Drax will pay $225,000 in penalties after reaching an agreement with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) in connection with Notices of Violation (NOV) at its Gloster plant.

The NOVs were due to the alleged permit exceedance of hazardous air pollutant limits with respect to methanol and a failure to timely conduct an emissions performance test by a certain deadline. Drax officials said the company fully cooperated and took immediate action to investigate the alleged violations and provide MDEQ accurate information promptly upon its discovery.

As part of the settlement, Drax has agreed to pay MDEQ a civil penalty of $225,000, with $150,000 of that amount paid directly to MDEQ. The remaining $75,000 will go towards a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to build a new dust suppression screen at the Gloster plant. Drax is voluntarily investing more than the SEP requirement with the total enhancement project estimated to cost $150,000.

The SEP will be completed in connection with the settlement of an enforcement action taken by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

“We care deeply about the safety of our people and the residents of the communities in which we operate, and we take our environmental responsibilities and compliance extremely seriously,” said Matt White, EVP of Drax North American Operations. “Compliance is at the foundation of everything we do, and we have invested a lot of hours and resources with the goal of continuously improving our operations.”

Drax has been working with community stakeholders to help guide future community engagement and interaction. This year, Drax created a Gloster community advisory panel made up of community leaders and citizens to help inform Drax’s future investments in the region.