Dear Editor,
Kudos to Dick Yarbrough for his latest outstanding piece this week on the Okefenokee mining controversy. It was great that he gave the floor to Pogo and his friends to tell us why Twin Pines’ proposal for strip mining at the swamp is an atrocious idea.
There are so many reasons to oppose this project. First, independent scientists say continuous pumping of groundwater will lower the swamp’s water level and triple drought frequency. This will in turn threaten wildlife habitat and increase the size and frequency of catastrophic wildfires. Second, the mine will generate billions of gallons of wastewater that the company proposes to boil into the air, despite the fact the humidity is so high that such evaporation failed in the past at another south Georgia mine. And with the increasing frequency of hurricanes coming through the area annually, the wastewater is at risk of spilling into the swamp or St. Marys River.
What’s even worse is Twin Pines has never built a mine before; that’s right, they’ve got no experience AT ALL with titanium sand mining. And the technology they propose has never been used before for this type of project. Moreover, Twin Pines and its management have broken the law in four different states, including in the development of this project when they were fined $20,000. And as Pogo and co. so eloquently describe, the final product of this mine is a pigment to whiten toothpaste and the filling in Oreo cookies. Not exactly a national security imperative.
Over the last 5 years, hundreds of thousands of citizens have spoken out against the proposal, including the US Interior Secretary, Senators Ossoff and Warnock, 80 scientists, nearly 100 Georgia legislators, over 120 clergy leaders, students, business owners, and others. Literally the only people in favor are Twin Pines; Joe Hopkins, the timber baron neighbor to the north who wants to lease his land for mining to become even wealthier than he already is; and Chemours, the corporate successor to DuPont who unsuccessfully tried to mine at the Okefenokee 25 years ago and wants to try again today.
This all begs the question: why on earth would Governor Kemp consider permitting this project, and why would Georgia Speaker Burns not even allow a vote on a bill to protect the swamp that was supported by 100 of his members? The only possible answer: campaign contributions. Since 2019, Kemp has received well over $100,000 from Twin Pines, its owners and lobbyists; Joe Hopkins; and Chemours, and Georgia House Speaker Burns has also received thousands from these same donors. It’s the most outrageous example of political expedience over science, law and the will of the public.
But it’s not too late to save Pogo and co. In this festive season, we urge your readers to ask Kemp and Burns to change course, say no to mining, and instead permanently protect the swamp. What better holiday gift for the members of the Okefenokee Creatures Association and the rest of us?
- Josh Marks
