Bipartisan legislation to ban mining near the Okefenokee Swamp has fallen by the wayside, despite the backing of some of the most powerful members of the Georgia House of Representatives.
The bill, co-sponsored by several committee chairs in the House, was on track last week for a hearing before the House Natural Resources & Environment Committee. But the hearing didn’t happen, and supporters were told the committee will not take it up this year.
“The enthusiasm that appeared on the part of the legislature … led us to believe we had a real good chance to get it through the House,” said Neill Herring, a lobbyist for the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club. “There’s plenty of strong sentiment for protecting the Okefenokee Swamp from any kind of threats.”
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