Draining the Swamp?

By: Noah Weiser

Situated along the Georgia-Florida border lies 438,000 acres of the largest blackwater swamp in North America and the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern United States. This is the Okefenokee Swamp. This amazing ecosystem is home to a stunning array of biodiversity, including bald eagles, bobcats, black bears, about 13,000 alligators, and endangered species, including wood storks, indigo snakes, gopher tortoises, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. In addition, more than 850 species of plants, including cypress trees, are over 400 years old. Besides supporting a stunning array of wildlife, this ecosystem attracts 725,000 visitors a year, supports 750 jobs, and generates almost $65 million for the four counties surrounding the swamp. However, an Alabama-based mining company, Twin Pines, LLC, is seeking permits to mine 8,000 acres along the swamp's eastern edge.

Twin Pines wants to mine along Trail Ridge, a narrow geological formation that forms the eastern rim of the swamp. It is rich in various minerals, including titanium and titanium dioxide. The proposed mine threatens North America's largest blackwater wetland, releasing toxic contaminants into the nearby surface and groundwater. Environmentalists and locals are concerned that the mine will destroy crucial habitats and release heavy metals into the surrounding ecosystem; however, Twin Pines says they will create valuable jobs and not harm the swamp. Yet, Twin Pines has failed to show that it has complied with state and local regulations. Twin Pines seeks to excavate Trail Ridge for minerals. However, they will disturb the existing strata of layered sands, clays, and organic matter in the process.

When Twin Pines is done, the reassembled ridge will be more porous than before and less conducive to holding water. Moreover, the impact of the mine will alter groundwater flows through Trail Ridge, leading to permanent lower water levels in the swamp. The mining permit proposes to pump almost one and a half million gallons of groundwater per day. This is the amount of water needed for a town of 19,000 people. The projected mine will have dire impacts on the Floridian Aquifer and threaten $17.2 million in employment, $5.4 million in tax revenue, and $65 million in tourism. Local governments have passed resolutions asking state officials to do everything possible to protect the swamp.

Since Twin Pines proposed their mine in 2018, more than 250,000 public comments have been filed with the Georgia Corps of Engineers. So far, nineteen local governments across Georgia have passed resolutions calling for the protection of the swamp. Additionally, ninety-four out of the 180 Georgia House members have supported a bill to outlaw mining on Trail Ridge. Further, in October 2024, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed expanding the Okefenokee's boundaries to protect hydrological integrity, conserve wetlands, and key wildlife habitat. While expanding the swamp's borders will not stop the proposed mine, it will limit its impact. So far, the public engagement has kept the swamp and Trail Ridge intact and has slowed the process and development of permits for the mine. There have been several proposed legislative measures to stop Twin Pines. One example was House Bill 562, introduced by Representative Darlene Taylor (R-173). This Bill would impose a five-year moratorium on mining along Trail Ridge. While this legislation would not prohibit mining, it would allow more time for fact-finding about the impacts of the mine. Another proposed solution is House Bill 71, seeking to strengthen protections for the swamp by banning future mining permits on Trail Ridge. Unfortunately, this Bill failed to pass the Georgia House Natural Resources Committee. As of February 2025, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has not decided on its next move.

Hopefully, the proposed mine will not come to fruition, or if it does, a more limited version of it at least. The Twin Pines mine threatens water levels and the health of one of the most ecologically intact places in the United States. The proposed mine would remove more than 500,000 gallons of water per day from the Okefenokee watershed. This area is already sensitive to drought and wildfires, and the proposed mine would only exacerbate those threats. The swamp is a crucial carbon sink, and it stores about 145 million tons of carbon dioxide in its forests, plants, soils, and peat. When peatlands are drained and dried out, they release vast quantities of greenhouse gases, further exacerbating climate change. So far, the mining process has not begun in part due to community activism and pushback from local Georgians. Hopefully, the momentum can continue, and the mine will not be constructed at all.