On September 27, a group consisting of one of the leading hydrologists in Georgia, local business and faith leaders, and activists gathered at the Suwannee Eco-Lodge just outside the Okefenokee Swamp to discuss the threats posed by Twin Pines Minerals' proposed mining operation.
For the last three years, Twin Pines has been working to get permits to establish a mine just outside the borders of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The mine is proposed for an area known as Trail Ridge, which forms a natural barrier on the eastern edge of the swamp. Jurisdiction over the mining permits has shifted several times over the last several years, but authority to grant the permits now rests with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board of Directors, which has oversight of the Georgia EPD, met at the Suwannee Eco-Lodge in Fargo, Georgia, just west of the Okefenokee Swamp on September 27. Before the meeting, several people spoke out about the mining proposal.
Speakers included:
- Dr. Rhett Jackson, John Porter Stevens Distinguished Professor of Water Resources at the University of Georgia
- Antwon Nixon, a youth pastor in Folkston
- Bill Clark, chair of the board of the nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park near Waycross, and
- Drago and Ruth Ann Tesanovich, part of the Madison County Clean Power Coalition, which has been working to address environmental issues at a biomass plant in North Georgia that has ties to Twin Pines Minerals.
Watch the full press conference below.