U.S. agency sued over hands-off decision on Okefenokee mine

Conservation groups filed suit Tuesday against a U.S. government agency challenging its decision to allow a mining project to move forward without federal permits near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp’s vast wildlife refuge.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court accuses the Army Corps of Engineers of contradicting its own policies and violating federal law when the agency agreed in August to relinquish regulatory jurisdiction over the proposed mine near the Georgia-Florida line.

It’s the latest move by environmentalists seeking to stop Twin Pines Minerals from mining titanium dioxide near the eastern edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. It’s the largest refuge east of the Mississippi River, covering 630 square miles (1,630 square kilometers). Government scientists have warned that mining near the swamp’s bowl-like rim could damage its ability to hold water.