Federal scientists have found “critical shortcomings” and technical errors in the documents used by Georgia state regulators to conclude that the proposed mine near Okefenokee Swamp would not affect the environment. Twin Pine Minerals, which has been seeking permits to mine titanium since 2019, insists that it can mine safely outside the swamp without harming it. The hydrologists from the National Park Service stated that consultants of Twin Pines failed to take into account the combined impact on the Okefenokee of groundwater gushing into mining pits, the pumping of additional water from an aquifer, and disruption in soil layers at the swamp’s edge. The US Fish and Wildlife Service will make a renewed push for federal oversight of the proposed mine as the problems are so significant. The river gauge used by Georgia regulators was also found to be incorrect and unsupportable by hydrologists from Southern universities.
Proposed mine near Okefenokee Swamp could harm refuge, say scientists
According to scientists working for the federal government, documents used by Georgia state regulators to conclude that a proposed mine near the Okefenokee Swamp and its wildlife refuge would not cause harm contain technical errors and significant shortcomings.
Twin Pine Minerals has been seeking permits to mine titanium less than three miles from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge since 2019. However, scientists have warned that mining near the swamp’s rim could damage its ability to hold water, potentially leading to droughts.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division released a draft plan in January that would allow Twin Pine to mine and mitigate any environmental damage. The agency concluded that the swamp’s water level would be minimally impacted.
However, hydrologists from the National Park Service analyzed computer modeling results submitted by Twin Pines to state regulators and found flaws that cast doubt on the conclusions. In their analysis, the scientists stated that the consultants failed to consider the combined impact on the Okefenokee of groundwater gushing into mining pits, the pumping of additional water from an aquifer, and disruption in soil layers at the swamp’s edge. They also noted that the models did not account for seasonal and year-to-year variations in the swamp’s water levels.
In addition, the scientists identified mathematical errors in five data tables in Twin Pines’ report.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the Okefenokee refuge, has written to Georgia regulators stating that the problems are significant enough to warrant renewed federal oversight of the proposed mine.
Federal scientists raise concerns over Twin Pines mine proposal
Scientists working for the federal government have found “critical shortcomings” and technical errors in the documents used by Georgia state regulators to conclude that the proposed Twin Pines mine near the Okefenokee Swamp and its wildlife refuge would not cause harm. Since 2019, Twin Pine Minerals has been seeking permits to mine titanium less than three miles from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. However, scientists have warned that mining near the swamp’s rim could irreparably damage its ability to hold water, potentially leading to droughts.
The hydrologists for the National Park Service analyzed the computer modeling results submitted by Twin Pines to state regulators and found flaws that cast doubt on the conclusions. The scientists stated that the consultants failed to consider the combined impact on the Okefenokee of groundwater gushing into mining pits, the pumping of additional water from an aquifer, and disruption in soil layers at the swamp’s edge. They also noted that the models did not account for seasonal and year-to-year variations in the swamp’s water levels.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the Okefenokee refuge, has written to Georgia regulators stating that the problems are significant enough to warrant renewed federal oversight of the proposed mine. The Army Corps of Engineers relinquished any permitting authority over the Twin Pines project following a rollback of environmental regulations under President Donald Trump. The Fish and Wildlife Service asked Georgia regulators to postpone further decisions on the mine until the Army Corps decides whether to reassert jurisdiction.
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge covers nearly 630 square miles 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 Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is working on a final mining plan for Twin Pines after a 60-day comment period on the project ended recently. The mining plan must be finished for the agency to start drafting permits. The division received more than 77,400 comments from concerned citizens, local officials, government agencies, conservation groups, and others, said spokeswoman Sara Lips.
In response to the federal agencies’ critiques, Steve Ingle, president of Twin Pines, has insisted that his company can mine safely on 773 acres outside the swamp without harming it. He said his company would send regulators a response to the federal agencies’ critiques.
The federal scientists are not the only ones to say that Twin Pines and Georgia regulators used faulty methods to consider potential environmental impacts to the swamp. C. Rhett Jackson, a University of Georgia hydrologist, sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Division signed by 11 fellow hydrologists from Southern universities saying regulators used the wrong river gauge to evaluate potential decreases in the swamp’s water levels. Jackson said using the more distant river gauge “is incorrect and unsupportable, and its consequent conclusion that the mine will have no impact on the swamp is also incorrect.”
Wei Zeng, a hydrologist for the state environmental division, stated in a memo that the river gauge used by regulators has a longer history of collected data and is more accurate during droughts.
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