SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The federal agency that manages the vast wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp says a private company's plan to mine minerals near the swamp edge could pose "substantial risks" to the environment, and some damage may be irreversible.
The written comments from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were provided to The Associated Press on Friday by the Army Corps of Engineers, which disclosed last week that it is considering a permit request by Twin Pines Minerals LLC of Birmingham, Ala.
The company wants to mine titanium dioxide less than 4 miles from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which covers nearly 630 square miles near the Georgia-Florida state line.
"We have concerns that the proposed project poses substantial risks for significant affect to the environment," the Fish and Wildlife Service wrote in a five-page response to the Army Corps dated Feb. 20.
Business on 07/20/2019