Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Permit Board approved Enviva’s permit for new wood pellet plant

Enviva’s Chairman and CEO John Keppler issued the following statement: “We want to thank the community of Lucedale. We received overwhelming support from community members, small business owners, and environmental and conservation leaders. We want to thank the state of Mississippi and George County. We have been in the Amory, Mississippi community for almost a decade, so we already know that Mississippi is a great place to do business. We appreciate the support of the many elected officials who have encouraged us to grow in this state.

We want to solve big challenges. Renewable wood energy is an important part of the renewable energy sector. Enviva, and the broad forest products industry in Mississippi, are moving us toward a more sustainable future. We want to help grow more forests. The key to keeping forests as forests is strong demand for forest products. That raises the value landowners can get from keeping their land as managed forests. Because of this strong market, private forest owners in the Southeast are growing 40% more wood than they remove every year.

We want to create products here in America that we can export to other countries. Wood pellets are an export success story, and the new $60 million shipping terminal we’re building in Pascagoula, Mississippi is a part of this great story. We want to create more jobs in rural communities. We are starting construction on the Lucedale facility soon, and are proud to have the opportunity to create about 90 direct jobs in Lucedale, 30 direct jobs in Pascagoula, and hundreds of additional indirect and construction jobs.

We want to continue to be a good partner in the communities where we work and live. We have worked hard not only to provide good jobs and promote environmental stewardship, but also to listen to the needs of our neighbors, partners, suppliers, and associates. We want to be a sustainable resource for every community we are in. Whether that’s working with local schools, emergency responders, non-profit organizations, or conservation groups, we believe this is the responsibility of every company. You have our commitment: We will work tirelessly — every day — to be a company that Lucedale is proud to have in its community. Thank you for welcoming us home.”