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AJC CONTINUING COVERAGEAJC CONTINUING COVERAGE | Sept 18, 2019
By Nedra Rhone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several governmental agencies have expressed concerns about how a
proposed titanium mine may impact the swamp and wildlife of the
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as well as the lack of research
provided about the project.
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The US Army Corp of
Engineers, the agency
charged with reviewing
the mining proposal,
released comments to the
public days after
government agencies,
non-governmental
organizations and
members of the public
filed more than 20,500
comments. The agency is
periodically posting items
related to the application
of Twin Pines Minerals
LLC to mine in the area.
In July, Twin Pines filed a
permit request for the first
phase of a 30-year mining
plan which would include
12,000 acres mined in
1,000 acre parcels.
Phase one would
cover about 2,400 acres
and would come within
1.7 miles of the border of
the Okefenokee refuge. It
includes mining Trail
Ridge, the unique
geological formation that
surrounds Okefenokee
Swamp.
>> Related: Mining
proposal near
Okefenokee draws more
than 20K comments
from public
A three-page response
outlined the federal
Environmental Protection
Agency’s concerns about
the project. The agency
said detailed plans for
restoring the wetlands
and stream have not been
provided by Twin Pines
and are necessary to
evaluate the degree to
which the soil and water
could be restored to
appropriate conditions
after mining.
Twin Pines also has not
adequately demonstrated
that the project would not
harm fish, wildlife and the
surrounding environment
or result in changes to the
groundwater that could
impact the conditions of
the swamp, the agency
said. The cumulative
impacts would also need
to be considered since
the plan is to mine a full
12,000 acres over several
decades.
“Due to the potential for
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the proposed Twin Pines
Minerals mine to
adversely affect the
hydrology of the
Okefenokee NWR, the
EPA believes that there is
the potential for this
project as proposed to
cause adverse effects to
water quality and the life
stages of aquatic life or
other wildlife dependent
on aquatic systems,” said
the statement. “The EPA
finds that this project as
proposed, may result in
substantial and
unacceptable impacts to
aquatic resources of
national importance.”
>> Read More: Mining
proposal raises concerns
about future of
Okefenokee Swamp
Georgia‘s Environmental
Protection Division also
expressed concerns
about the lack of
environmental
documentation that has
yet to be prepared,
completed and
distributed from Twin
Pines. The agency
particularly noted the
absence of a report that is
supposed to document
the groundwater
conditions before, during
and after mining.
“We feel it is
inappropriate and
premature to close the
project comment window
when such notable
elements of the
environmental
documentation for this
project have not yet been
made available...” read the
statement.
Twin Pines Minerals has
indicated they are
working on additional
reports including a three-
dimensional groundwater
flow model which would
simulate what happens to
water flow both during
and after mining.
Comments from the
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric
Administration National
Marine Fisheries Service
noted that the mining
proposal would not occur
near essential fish habitat,
a position that does not
support or oppose
authorization of the
project. The agency also
indicated that it would be
unable to offer any further
analysis because of its
current staffing levels.
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