Georgia lawmakers hear hours of testimony on Okefenokee protection bills HB 561 and HB 562

Representative Darlene Taylor introduced House Bill 561, the Okefenokee Protection Act, saying the measure would bar mining along the eastern edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and protect the swamp’s hydrology and cultural resources. The subcommittee also considered House Bill 562, a narrower proposal to impose a temporary moratorium on surface mining near the refuge.

The bills drew extensive public testimony. Taylor told the committee the swamp is an economic and cultural engine: "it attracts over 800,000 visitors, supports over 700 jobs, and contributes over 90,000,000 in the local economy," remarks she made while describing the site’s ecological and heritage value. Supporters urged the legislature to act after years of controversy over a proposed Twin Pines Minerals permit.

Scientists and legal advocates supporting statutory protection argued state permitting alone is not adequate. Rhett Jackson, John Porter Stevens Distinguished Professor of Water Resources at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School, told the panel that Twin Pines’ consultant estimated the mine would have to "constantly pump 1,130,000 gallons per day every day to dewater the mine…