State regulators have issued draft permits for a controversial mining proposal near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
The state Environmental Protection Division announced late Friday afternoon that it had decided to issue draft permits for Alabama-based Twins Pines Minerals LLC. The company is planning a 582-acre demonstration mine about 3 miles away from the refuge, where it plans to strip mine Trail Ridge for titanium, staurolite and zircon.
The decision to issue an air quality permit, a permit to use groundwater and a surface mining permit kicks off a new public comment period, with a virtual public hearing planned for 6 p.m. March 5. Written comments can be submitted to twinpines.comment@dnr.ga.gov.
A recent public comment period on the company’s land use plan attracted 78,632 written comments and 115 oral comments, according to the Environmental Protection Division.
The response from environmental groups that fiercely oppose the proposal came quickly Friday. Some said they were still reviewing the drafts but had studied documents submitted earlier to the state.