Drax faces penalty after Canadian biomass plant fails to submit pollution report

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Power giant Drax if facing a penalty after one of its biomass plants in Canada failed to submit an annual report on pollutant emissions to the country’s environment regulator.The pellet mill in High Level, Alberta, produces wood pellets for the company, which runs Britain’s biggest power station in Yorkshire.However, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said the plant did not submit a 2022 report by June 1 this year as it was legally required to do under the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI).The reporting relates to permitted levels of hazardous compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter, which can harm human health.The regulator said companies that fail to report on time face penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which could issue tickets that carry financial penalties, written warnings, directions, Environmental Protection Compliance Orders (EPCOs) and possible fines of up to 500,000 dollars (£300,000).Drax Canada told the PA news agency that the report was not submitted due to an “unintended administrative oversight”.The company, which receives billions in green subsidies from the UK Government, is currently facing an investigation by the energy regulator Ofgem into the sustainability of the biomass it uses at its wood-burning plant in Yorkshire.It comes after a BBC panorama investigation alleged that some of the wood comes from primary forests that had been cut down by the company in Canada.The company was also found to have paid millions to US regulators over claims it exceeded limits on chemicals emissions and VOCs.In an email to Bertie Harrison-Broninski from Land and Climate Review, seen by PA, an ECCC spokesperson said the regulator has contacted Drax for an explanation as to