TUES. 4/9 DEADLINE for public comments on Okefenokee mining proposal

Alabama mining company Twin Pines, LLC hasn’t given up on plans to mine titanium at Trail Ridge, an important natural dam near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, threatening this unique and wondrous natural resource as well as the adjacent St. Marys River. Twin Pines' plans include pumping 1.4 million gallons of water a day from the aquifer that feeds the Okefenokee. Despite the obvious threat to the wildlife refuge, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources granted a permit for the proposed mine in February, with a public comment period that extends through this Tuesday, April 9. (You can thank the Trump administration for the loophole that enabled the approval.)

Submit your comments directly to the DNR at TwinPines.Comment@dnr.ga.gov or use the comment form on one of the websites below. As always, personal, unique comments are weighted more heavily than form letters, so if you have the time, phrasing your comments in your own words will be most effective. If you’ve visited the Okefenokee personally, including your appreciation for the place is a nice touch. (And if not, you really should visit, because it’s gorgeous!)

Key issues / talking points are summarized on the Georgia Water Coalition’s website:
https://www.gawater.org/okefenokee-swamp - scroll down to What's so special about the Okefenokee?. Here are some quotes from the Georgia Conservancy's April 5, 2024 letter to DNR:

• The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge provides a safe haven for thousands of species of plants and animals, including many that are threatened and endangered.


• In addition, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge functions as an international destination for outdoor recreation and serves as an unmatched location for wonder, spiritual renewal, and solitude.


• Boasting more than 700,000+ visits per year, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is an economic engine that contributes more than $64 million to the local economies and supports an associated 750 long-term, sustainable jobs.


• Simultaneously, the Okefenokee provides invaluable ecosystem services such as water quality protection and carbon sequestration.

• Georgia Conservancy - https://www.georgiaconservancy.org/okefenokee/mining


• Southern Environmental Law Center - https://act.southernenvironment.org/o9jl4iw


• Georgia Water Coalition - https://www.gawater.org/okefenokee-swamp


• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: ‘Not now, not ever’: Public tells officials to stop Okefenokee mine - https://www.ajc.com/news/business/not-now-not-ever-public-tells-officials-to-stop-okefenokee-mine/5CACOOZADZEHJGAWRABU32ICRE/


• ”A Dire Threat to a National Wildlife Treasure” - NY Times essay by Margaret Renkl - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/25/opinion/okefenokee-strip-mine-georgia.html
  (non-paywall version: https://archive.ph/rxQd8)


• Overview from the Savannah Morning News - https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/environment/2024/02/15/georgia-issues-drafts-permits-for-controversial-mine-near-okefenokee-swamp/72617797007/


• Other articles from the Savannah Morning News / SavannahNow.com - https://www.savannahnow.com/search/?q=Twin+Pines+Okefenokee