On Friday, Waterkeepers Florida, a regional entity composed of all 13 Waterkeeper organizations working in the State of Florida to protect and restore our water resources across over 45,000 square miles of watershed, which is home to over 15 million Floridians, wrote to both the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. EPA asking for more third-party comment on the application by Twin Pines Minerals, LLC, to strip mine for titanium near the Okefenokee Swamp, which is the headwaters of the St. Marys and Suwannee Rivers.

WKFL logos

Today’s the comment deadline, and today you can also write such letters about Application Number SAS-2018-00554-SP-HAR. Here’s how:
https://wwals.net/issues/titanium-mining/#howtocomment

Waterkeepers Florida (WKFL) to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

See also PDF.

WKFL letter to Army Corps

WATERKEEPERS®
FLORIDA

Ms. Holly Ross
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1104 North Westover Boulevard, Suite 9
Albany, Georgia, 31707
holly.a.ross@usace.army.mil

Re: Twin Pines Minerals, LLC application number SAS-2018-00554-SP-HAR

Dear Ms. Ross,

On behalf of our respective organizations and our thousands of members, we are writing to express our concerns regarding the Twin Pines Minerals, LLC application number SAS-2018-00554-SP-HAR. Waterkeepers Florida is a regional entity composed of all 13 Waterkeeper organizations working in the State of Florida to protect and restore our water resources across over 45,000 square miles of watershed, which is home to over 15 million Floridians.

Because so many of our members have an interest in this project, we ask that you afford them the opportunity to give meaningful input. In light of COVID-19 global pandemic, the public has not had time to fully review this application. We request an extension of the comment period to 90 days past the receipt of the application.

Respectfully,
[signed]
Lisa Rinaman
St. Johns Riverkeeper
Board Chair of Waterkeepers Florida

Suwannee Riverkeeper for WWALS Watershed Coalition prefers an extension of 120 days past the current deadline of today, but any extension is better than no extension.

Waterkeepers Florida (WKFL) to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

See also PDF.

WKFL Letter to EPA

WATERKEEPERS®
FLORIDA

Mary S. Walker, Regional Administrator
Jeaneanne Gettle, Director, Water Division
Blake Ashbee, Chief of Staff
Carol Kemker, Director, Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division
Region 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Cc: Gregory J. Strong, Director, Northeast Division
Noah Valenstein, Director
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Col. Daniel Hibner, Commander
Holly Ross, Project Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District

Stephen Wiedl, Wetlands Unit
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division

Re: Twin Pines Minerals, LLC application number SAS-2018-00554-SP-HAR

Dear Administrator Walker and Director Gettle,

On behalf of our respective organizations and our thousands of members, we are writing to express our concerns regarding the Twin Pines Minerals, LLC application number SAS-2018-00554-SP-HAR. Waterkeepers Florida is a regional entity composed of all 13 Waterkeeper organizations working in the State of Florida to protect and restore our water resources across over 45,000 square miles of watershed, which is home to over 15 million Floridians.

We request EPA to determine, according to 33 CFR § 325.2(b), whether the mining activities of the applicant may affect the quality of the waters of the state of Florida and to notify the state of Florida, the district engineer, and the applicant that Florida therefore “has 60 days from receipt of EPA’s notice to determine if the proposed discharge will affect the quality of its waters so as to violate any water quality requirement in such state, to notify EPA and the district engineer in writing of its objection to permit issuance, and to request a public hearing.”

Respectfully,
[signed]
Lisa Rinaman
St. Johns Riverkeeper
Board Chair of Waterkeepers Florida

For much more about why Florida should have a chance to comment, see the Suwannee Riverkeeper request to EPA.

You, too can comment

Remember, you can write such comments today:
https://wwals.net/issues/titanium-mining/#howtocomment

For far more about this bad strip mining application and the dozens of organizations that oppose it, see:
https://wwals.net/issues/titanium-mining/

Organizations For Okefenokee Swamp, Against Titanium Mine
PDF

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

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