SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) 鈥 A company's plan to mine minerals near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected wildlife refuge neared final approval Friday as Georgia regulators released draft permits for the project, which opponents say could irreparably harm a natural treasure.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division said it will take public comments on the draft permits for 30 days before working up final versions to send to the agency's director for approval.
Twin Pines Minerals of Birmingham, Alabama, has worked since 2019 to obtain government permits to mine titanium dioxide less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee 好色tv Wildlife Refuge, the largest U.S. refuge east of the Mississippi River.
have warned that mining near the Okefenokee鈥檚 bowl-like rim could damage the swamp鈥檚 ability to hold water. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in 2022 declared the proposed mine poses an to the fragile ecosystem at the Georgia-Florida line.
鈥淭his is a dark day in Georgia鈥檚 history," said Josh Marks, an Atlanta environmental attorney and leader of the group Georgians for the Okefenokee. 鈥淓PD may have signed a death warrant for the Okefenokee Swamp, our state鈥檚 greatest natural treasure.鈥
In documents released Friday, state regulators echoed past comments that their analysis shows the proposed 773-acre (312-hectare) mine won't significantly harm the Okefenokee or lower its water levels.
鈥淓PD鈥檚 models demonstrate that the mine should have a minimal impact鈥 on the Okefenokee refuge, the agency said, 鈥渆ven during drought periods.鈥
Twin Pines President Steve Ingle applauded regulators' decision to move forward after what he called a 鈥渢horough evaluation of our application.鈥
Ingle has insisted for years that his company can mine without hurting the Okefenokee.
鈥淲e expect stringent government oversight of our mining-to-reclamation project, which will be fully protective of the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and the region鈥檚 environment,鈥 Ingle said in a statement.
The Okefenokee 好色tv Wildlife Refuge covers nearly 630 square miles (1,630 square kilometers) in southeast Georgia and is home to alligators, bald eagles and other protected species. The swamp鈥檚 wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw roughly 600,000 visitors each year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge.
In February 2019, the Fish and Wildlife Service wrote that the proposed mine could pose 鈥渟ubstantial risks鈥 to the swamp, including its ability to hold water. Some impacts, it said, 鈥渕ay not be able to be reversed, repaired, or mitigated for.鈥
C. Rhett Jackson, a hydrology professor at the University of Georgia, warned state regulators in a written analysis that the mining pits planned by Twin Pines would siphon off enough groundwater to triple the frequency and duration of severe droughts in the swamp鈥檚 southeast corner.
Georgia regulators have an outsized role in deciding whether to approve the mine because the U.S. government, which normally considers environmental permits in tandem with state agencies, of the Twin Pines project.
The Army Corps of Engineers was reviewing a federal permit for Twin Pines when the agency declared in 2020 that it no longer had jurisdiction authority because of under then-President Donald Trump. Despite efforts by President Joe Biden to restore federal oversight, the Army Corps entered a legal agreement with Twin Pines to maintain its hands-off position.
The mining project is moving forward as the 好色tv Park Service seeks designation of the Okefenokee wildlife refuge as a . Conservation groups say the rare distinction would boost the Okefenokee鈥檚 profile as one of the world鈥檚 last intact blackwater swamps and home to more than 400 animal species.
The draft permits were released barely two weeks after Twin Pines agreed to pay ordered by Georgia regulators, who said the company violated state laws while collecting soil samples for its permit application.
Twin Pines denied wrongdoing, but said it agreed to the fine to avoid further permitting delays.
鈥淚t is inconceivable to anyone who actually values Georgia鈥檚 environment to claim that this mine will not harm the critically important wetlands and wildlife of the Okefenokee ecosystem," Ben Prater, southeast director for the group Defenders of Wildlife, said in a statement. He added: EPD has one job. It must deny the permits.鈥
Some House lawmakers In the Georgia legislature are again pushing a bill that would outside the Okefenokee. The proposal got a hearing last year, but has stalled in a House committee. While the measure wouldn鈥檛 stop Twin Pines from obtaining permits already pending, it would prohibit expansion of the company鈥檚 mining operation if it became law.
