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A bill aimed at making Louisiana more enticing to the controversial wood pellet industry has sailed through the Legislature, Verite News reports.
House Bill 670, sponsored by state Rep. Charles Owen, R-Rosepine, won unanimous approval in the Louisiana House and Senate and was granted final passage on Wednesday. The measure would ease regulations for pellet manufacturers and direct state support toward workforce development, financial incentives and infrastructure improvements designed to meet the industry’s needs.
The industry has been scrutinized for repeatedly breaking air pollution rules in Louisiana and Mississippi and for contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.K., where most pellets are burned to produce energy.
Backers of the bill acknowledged they knew little about the industry but supported the measure anyway in hopes of reviving Louisiana’s ailing logging sector.
