Can we protect Georgia’s Okefenokee before its Golden Anniversary? | Opinion.

A little less than three months from now, on December 2nd, 2024, the Okefenokee will reach its Golden Anniversary, marking 50 years since it was designated a National Natural Landmark by President Nixon.

But before then a decision could be made by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) which puts this unique site of natural beauty at risk.

Inscribed on a wooden bench in the Okefenokee swamp are the words “The earth has music for those who listen.” At a time when we are losing many of the magical sounds of nature, one of the things that makes the Okefenokee such a special, magical place are its auditory wonders: echoing barred owls and sandhill cranes, explosive pig frogs, chirping crickets and drumming woodpeckers.

All this could be replaced by the sounds of drilling and mining if the EPD approves final permits for an 8,000 acre titanium dioxide mine less than 3 miles from the Okefenokee.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most significant areas of natural beauty in the world. In December 2023, the U.S. The Department of the Interior authorized the National Park Service to nominate the Refuge to the UNESCO World Heritage List. If the nomination is approved, it would join the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall in China, and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador as a cultural and natural site of universal importance. More than 725,000 people visit each year, generating an estimated $64.7 million in economic activity in the four counties surrounding the Okefenokee.

It’s not surprising therefore that according to a recent poll, nine out of ten Georgia voters are opposed to the mine. Notably, the poll showed strong opposition to the mine across party lines, with 90% of Democrats, 81% of Republicans, and 73% of Independents opposed.

In the same poll, 93% of voters say it’s more important to protect plants and wildlife of the Okefenokee from harm, even if it might prevent economic development. It’s worth stopping to think about what “economic development” means in this case. Titanium dioxide has been banned in food and drink in Europe due to health concerns. It has also been classified as an occupational carcinogen by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, posing a potential risk for workers involved in mining operations as well as those who live or work near the mine.

Titanium dioxide is mostly used as a whitener in products such as milk, coffee creamer, salad dressing and cookies. Are we prepared to put at risk an ancient place of outstanding and rare natural beauty so that we can make our candy and salad dressing whiter? As former interior-secretary Bruce Babbit put it in 1997, “Titanium is a common mineral, while the Okefenokee is a very uncommon swamp.”

The company proposing the mining project claims that the mine will pose no significant threat to the Okefenokee, but a detailed National Park Service assessment highlighted nine “critical shortcomings” in the model used by the company to determine the threat level. Among their concerns are the impacts water withdrawals and deep mine pits could have on water levels in the Okefenokee swamp. Lower water levels could translate to more wildfires. In 2017, the 152,515-acre West Mims Fire cost taxpayers an estimated $45.5 million to suppress. Changes to the water table could also degrade carbon-rich peat soils, in turn reducing the capacity of the swamp to capture carbon, a process which helps to control planet-warming greenhouse gasses and climate change.

All this is why U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has said, “The proposed mining activity in this area poses an unacceptable risk to the long-term hydrology and future of the swamp ecosystem and these cultural values.”

Let’s work to make sure that by the time we celebrate the Okefenokee’s Golden Anniversary, the threat of the proposed mine has been banished and the future of the swamp is securely protected for future generations to enjoy.

The Georgia EPD can do this by listening to the overwhelming majority of Georgia voters from across the political spectrum and deny permits for this mine. While we wait, Georgians can weigh in with their state legislator and the Governor and urge them to do all they can to protect the Okefenokee from mining.

Jennette Gayer is the state director of Environment Georgia. Gayer also serves on the board of the GA Solar Energy Association, leadership team of the Georgia Water Coalition, and the advisory board of Clean Energy Columbus.