Expensive Editor,
Kudos to Dick Yarbrough for his newest excellent piece this week on the Okefenokee mining controversy. It was nice that he gave the ground to Pogo and his mates to inform us why Twin Pines’ proposal for strip mining on the swamp is an atrocious thought.
There are such a lot of causes to oppose this undertaking. First, unbiased scientists say steady pumping of groundwater will decrease the swamp’s water degree and triple drought frequency. This can in flip threaten wildlife habitat and improve the scale and frequency of catastrophic wildfires. Second, the mine will generate billions of gallons of wastewater that the corporate proposes to boil into the air, regardless of the actual fact the humidity is so excessive that such evaporation failed up to now at one other south Georgia mine. And with the growing frequency of hurricanes coming by means of the realm yearly, the wastewater is prone to spilling into the swamp or St. Marys River.
What’s even worse is Twin Pines has by no means constructed a mine earlier than; that’s proper, they’ve received no expertise AT ALL with titanium sand mining. And the expertise they suggest has by no means been used earlier than for this sort of undertaking. Furthermore, Twin Pines and its administration have damaged the legislation in 4 completely different states, together with within the growth of this undertaking once they had been fined $20,000. And as Pogo and co. so eloquently describe, the ultimate product of this mine is a pigment to whiten toothpaste and the filling in Oreo cookies. Not precisely a nationwide safety crucial.
During the last 5 years, lots of of 1000’s of residents have spoken out in opposition to the proposal, together with the US Inside Secretary, Senators Ossoff and Warnock, 80 scientists, almost 100 Georgia legislators, over 120 clergy leaders, college students, enterprise homeowners, and others. Actually the one individuals in favor are Twin Pines; Joe Hopkins, the timber baron neighbor to the north who needs to lease his land for mining to develop into even wealthier than he already is; and Chemours, the company successor to DuPont who unsuccessfully tried to mine on the Okefenokee 25 years in the past and desires to attempt once more right now.
This all begs the query: why on earth would Governor Kemp think about allowing this undertaking, and why would Georgia Speaker Burns not even enable a vote on a invoice to guard the swamp that was supported by 100 of his members? The one attainable reply: marketing campaign contributions. Since 2019, Kemp has obtained effectively over $100,000 from Twin Pines, its homeowners and lobbyists; Joe Hopkins; and Chemours, and Georgia Home Speaker Burns has additionally obtained 1000’s from these identical donors. It’s probably the most outrageous instance of political expedience over science, legislation and the desire of the general public.
However it’s not too late to save lots of Pogo and co. On this festive season, we urge your readers to ask Kemp and Burns to vary course, say no to mining, and as an alternative completely defend the swamp. What higher vacation present for the members of the Okefenokee Creatures Affiliation and the remainder of us?
– Josh Marks
