A south Georgia lawmaker whose district borders the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has filed a new bill calling for a three-year moratorium on new surfacing mining permits in areas of Georgia that today sit untouched.
The bill, sponsored by Lake Park Republican Rep. John Corbett, would block state regulators from accepting any new permit applications for dragline mining for heavy mineral sands in areas where permits have not been previously issued.
The proposal would not stop an Alabama-based company, Twin Pines Minerals, from moving forward with a 582-acre demonstration proposal planned for Trail Ridge near the refuge. The state Environmental Protection Division issued draft permits for the company earlier this month, kicking off a new public comment period.
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