A planned titanium mine near the edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has drawn fierce resistance from people worried about the fate of the largest intact blackwater swamp in North America.
Inside the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Folkston, Ga. Its tannin-stained waters are practically part of her blood; its hundreds of bird species her eternal soundtrack; its maze of narrow canals, haunting cypress trees and ever-present alligators the backdrop of so many memories.
But a broad and boisterous coalition of environmental groups, scientists, lawmakers and other citizens - not to mention the Biden administration - has opposed the mine at every turn, arguing that the proposed excavation along a mineral-rich area known as Trail Ridge is not only risky but also reckless.“We’re not against mining,” said Bill Sapp, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
The organization leads educational trips and is helping the U.S. government’s bid to have the refuge deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site - a designation, supporters say, that would bring global recognition and an influx of tourism dollars. The swamp supports an astounding array of life, from black bears and red-cockaded woodpeckers to black gum trees and carnivorous plants with names such as hooded pitcher and golden trumpet. It is the headwaters for two rivers, the Suwannee and the St. Marys. And its vast peat deposits, formed by the slow decomposition of plants and 15 feet deep in places, store enormous amounts of carbon.
In the 1990s, DuPont pursued plans to mine titanium dioxide across tens of thousands of acres in the area. “Titanium is a common mineral,” Babbitt said that day, “while the Okefenokee is a very uncommon swamp.”More than two decades later, history is - and isn’t - repeating itself.In 2019, Twin Pines initially sought permits to mine roughly 2,400 acres near the southeastern corner of the swamp. The company later amended its requests and now is seeking permission to operate on a 582-acre site - a far smaller footprint than DuPont sought.
Everyone cares deeply about the Okefenokee, he said, but at the same time, the hospital in Folkston closed a decade ago, and emergency responders are understaffed. There are broken sidewalks, crumbling roads and a water treatment facility that needs modernizing. College students, grandparents, scientists, environmental activists, outdoor enthusiasts and local residents issued similar pleas, imploring state officials to halt the project.
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