In July of last year, Twin Pines Minerals filed an application with the U.S. Army Corps for permission to mine in the first phase of what would eventually become a 12,000-acre project adjacent to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The first phase would be on a site of a little more than 1,000 acres and advocates for the project point to the importance of titanium in orthopedic implants, aircraft, and nuclear reactors, among other uses.
Currently, most of titanium is imported into the U.S. meaning the vitally important mineral is subject to supply chain disruptions – particularly notable in the COVID-19 era.
But local and conservation-related opposition is mounting. Recently, 30 different groups from across Georgia and the country have joined to form the Okefenokee Protection Alliance to oppose the mining proposal.
“As the largest blackwater swamp in the United States, the significance of the Okefenokee cannot be overstated,” said Alice Keyes, vice president of coastal conservation for One Hundred Miles (named for the length of the Georgia coast). “It is recognized through many designations and determinations, but the characteristics that are worthy of the recognitions and that bolster the local economy continue to be threatened.”
Earlier this year, the group American Rivers named the Okefenokee Swamp and St. Mary’s River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers, citing the threat of the titanium mine. The group urged the Army Corps to deny the mining proposal.
Opposition is not only comprised of conservation groups. State Sen. William Ligon (R-3 White Oak) sent a letter to the Army Corps expressing concern about the impact and noting the economic importance of the wilderness that attracts some 600,000 visitors every year. The Camden County Joint Development Authority, the cities of Fernandina Beach, Kingsland, St. Marys and Woodbine also all expressed opposition to the plan.
Executive Director of the Georgia River Network Rena Ann Peck talked about the significance of the swamp for the ecosystem of the region. “The Okefenokee Swamp is like the heart of the regional Floridan aquifer system in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida. The life-force of water from the Okefenokee Swamp not only flows into the St. Marys River to the Atlantic Ocean, but also into the Suwannee River to the Gulf of Mexico,” said Peck. “Mining on Trail Ridge can draw down the water level of the Okefenokee Swamp and dewater headwater wetlands and tributaries and the rivers they feed, destroying natural habitat for federally listed species and providing dry peat fueling uncontrollable fires.”
“There is too much at stake to allow Twin Pines to start mining without subjecting the project to the rigorous analysis and public comment that an EIS provides,” said Charles McMillan, the coastal and natural resource director for the Georgia Conservancy. “Local jobs and tourism increasingly benefit and play an essential role in helping bolster the international reputation of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; it would be a shame to jeopardize such a treasure.”
