This latest findings by the State of Georgia further confirms what we have been saying for years: that Twin Pines is not competent to mine safely near the national treasure that is the Okefenokee Swamp.
This quickly became evident when OSFR board members visited a public information meeting in Folkston, GA, with mine representatives who were unable to provide truthful answers regarding basic facts about the aquifer and groundwater. They exhibited a basic lack of knowledge of fundamental issues.
In addition to that they have demonstrated a blatant disregard for mining rules and regulations.
It is way past time to get this company away from the Okefenokee and out of Georgia.
Read the original article with photos here at ABC News.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Company seeking to mine near Okefenokee will pay $20,000 to settle environmental violation claims
The company seeking permits to mine minerals just outside the Okefenokee Swamp’s vast wildlife refuge has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine to Georgia environmental regulators
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The company seeking permits to mine minerals near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp and its vast wildlife refuge has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine to Georgia environmental regulators, who say the company violated state laws while collecting soil samples for its permit application.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s assessment of a civil penalty against Twin Pines Minerals comes as the Alabama-based company waits for the agency to approve a final mining plan for how it would conduct mining operations and mitigate any environmental damage. The plan is required for Twin Pines to qualify for a permit. Regulators released a draft plan a year ago.
Since 2019, Twin Pines has been seeking government permits to mine titanium dioxide less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest U.S. refuge east of the Mississippi River.
Scientists have warned that mining near the Okefenokee’s bowl-like rim could irreparably harm the swamp’s ability to hold water and increase the frequency of withering droughts.
Twin Pines has insisted it can mine without harming the swamp. In a summary of the draft plan released in January 2023, Georgia regulators said their own analysis “concluded that water level in the swamp will be minimally impacted.”
The document also says the company failed to provide a required letter of credit or a performance bond, which essentially acts as a security deposit that can be forfeited if drilling violates the law.
An attorney for Twin Pines said Wednesday the company denies any wrongdoing.
“The alleged infractions are based on EPD’s interpretation of ambiguous technical regulations,” attorney Lewis Jones said in a statement. He added: “We agreed to sign the consent order to put this matter behind us and move our project forward.”
One opponent of the mining project, Atlanta environmental attorney Josh Marks, called the $20,000 penalty “ridiculously low.” He said the collection of soil samples without the required professional supervision means information Twin Pines submitted in its applications can’t be trusted.
Scientists who are critical of Twin Pines’ proposed mine have said they found other problems with the company’s application. Hydrologists for the National Park Service last year told Georgia regulators they discovered “critical shortcomings” and technical errors in computer modeling Twin Pines submitted to support its assurance that mining won’t harm the swamp. The company defended its work.
The National Park Service gave notice last year that it’s nominating the Okefenokee refuge for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site — a rare distinction that would boost its profile as one of the world’s last intact blackwater swamps.
The 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’s 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 “substantial risks” to the swamp, including its ability to hold water. Some impacts, it said, “may not be able to be reversed, repaired, or mitigated for.”
The Army Corps of Engineers declared in 2020 that it no longer had authority over the project because of regulatory rollbacks under then-President Donald Trump. Efforts by President Joe Biden to restore federal oversight failed. The Army Corps entered an agreement with Twin Pines to maintain its hands-off position in 2022.
