SAMPLE TEXT FOR YOUR EMAIL:
Please stop the Twin Pines mining project and protect the boundary waters of the Okefenokee.
Twin Pines Minerals is seeking approval for experimental mining along the ridge, beginning with destruction of 300 acres of wetland in phase 1 alone. Intentionally disregarding EPA and UGA scientists' warnings of impacted ecosystems, the Alabama-based LLC have already illegally bulldozed and graded land without permit. They are now exploiting rollback of legislation that would require independent review and federal oversight for approval to mine land so near the swamp.
keep scrolling to read the message wawa hines shared at last meeting, news coverage. & permit requests.
This is a call to action to our garden club on behalf of one of the jewels of Georgia ecology. Garden clubs across Georgia, along with conservation groups, farmers, anglers, and others that love and appreciate our national resources are doing all we can to stop the proposed Twin Pines Minerals LLC project.
The public has until April 9 to make their voices heard! It is essential that we reach out to the Governor and to the GA Environmental Protection Division to let them know that it would be catastrophic to allow mining to take place 3 miles south of the Okefenokee along the trail ridge.
What exactly is the proposed project :
The mining is proposed for the Okefenokee’s Trail Ridge, the prehistoric barrier island that helped create the swamp by holding back its waters. Independent scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Georgia have warned that the proposed project could affect the hydrology of the area, causing irreversible damage to the swamp including increased frequency of drought and wildfires.
In addition, the first phase of the mine would destroy over 300 acres of wetlands, pump over a million gallons a day of fresh groundwater, discharge pollution, destroy important habitat, and cast noise and light over the refuge, which will likely damage the visitor experience and the local economy.
The Okefenokee is one of the greatest remaining natural treasures in the world and holds significant economic, ecological, and cultural value for the people of Georgia. We cannot risk long-term damage to the swamp for an experimental, unsustainable mining project.
The legislation introduced last week by the GA State Senate only tackles *future* mining and does *not* do anything to stop the Twin Pines project!
Why is this so bad?
· Can’t protect Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge without protecting Trail Ridge which holds the water in swamp.
· Particularly problematic for the Saint Mary’s River
· The Okefenokee is irreplaceable and has been nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site.
· The titanium oxide being mined is for things like white paint, toothpaste, and confectioners sugar. It is not a precious mineral and is found in other places not on the border of federally protected land.
Take action today to save the Okefenokee!
Email comments to Georgia’s EPD opposing permits for the Twin Pines mine.
Contact the Governor’s office asking him to please stop this project and protect the boundary waters around the Okefenokee! The most impactful feedback is what the Okefenokee means to you. Be personal and be real!
GA EPD:
Jeff Cown, Director
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
14th Floor East Tower – Suite 1456
Atlanta, GA 30334-9000
Office: 404-656-4713
Email: jeff.cown@dnr.ga.gov
twinpines.comment@dnr.ga.gov
Governor Kemp’s Office:
Designee: Rhonda Wilson
206 Washington Street
Suite 203, State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Office: 404-656-177