Latest news with #HouseBill561
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kephart's amendment could've kept Rockview, Quehanna open for 10 years, vote falls short
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — For several months, officials have been trying to save Quehanna Boot Camp and SCI Rockview from the potential closure by the Department of Corrections (DOC). On March 13, State Representatives Dallas Kephart & Stephanie Borowicz attempted to amend House Bill 561. House Bill 561 is a bill for drug treatment programs in jails across the Commonwealth. Kephart's amendment would expand those programs into Quehanna Boot Camp and SCI Rockview, and furthermore, could keep the prisons open. 'Tucked into the amendment was it would keep Quehanna and Rockview open. So, essentially, it would save our prisons back home and keep them open for a minimum of ten years,' Kephart said. State College Regional Airport could soon have passenger boarding bridges The amendments were ruled out of order, and with a 102-101 vote, the amendments were blocked. Kephart said he is unsure of why many don't want to save prisons. He mentioned how the state is still paying for several facilities that have closed in he past. The DOC also says that Quehanna has produced the most GEDs for the last five years. Not only will this impact prisoners, but also the surrounding communities. 'Because at the end of the day, this is our area, this is our jobs, this is our facilities. The Quehanna Boot Camp, again, is a proven effective criminal justice center. Why we don't want to save that, I don't know,' Kephart said. Kephart noted that he will continue fighting for the boot camp until the very end. 'I'm going to remain committed to fighting for this boot camp until the day I can't. So if, when they close it and they ship everybody out, I guess that would be the day that, you know, it's over. But until that point, I'm going to remain committed,' Kephart said. He says he has had communication with the DOC, and this week is the first week the final report could come out. Kephart says that his understanding is that there would be a final recommendation in which then it has to be acted on. Kephart has no timetable for when this could happen; he says it could happen at any time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers reintroduce bills to protect Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge from mining
Members of the Georgia State House have once again introduced bills to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining threats. The Okefenokee was named a National Wildlife Refuge in 1937, and provides habitat for many threatened and endangered species, such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, wood storks, and indigo snakes. The swamp has been the subject of renewed conservation efforts after an Alabama-based company called Twin Pines Minerals, LLC announced plans for a mine. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Along the eastern rim of the swamp runs a line of ancient sand dunes called Trail Ridge. The sand is rich in minerals -- notably titanium dioxide. Twin Pines wants to mine it for use as a whitening agent for things like sunscreen, toothpaste and paint. The first 2025 bill, called the Okefenokee Protection Act (House Bill 561), would prohibit the state from permitting or renewing any surface mining operations at Trail Ridge. A second bill, HB 562, would place a five-year moratorium on mining along Trail Ridge. Both bills would still allow mining on Twin Pines Minerals, LLC's 'demonstration' area, which is awaiting final permit approval. The Georgia River Network says this temporary ban on areas of the swamp would allow state regulators and researchers time to evaluate how the Twin pines 'demonstration mine' impacts water levels in the swamp. A similar three-year moratorium passed in the House last year, but never went for a vote in the Senate. 'Both of these bills provide the opportunity for all the legislators and leadership to respond to their constituents to save the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from mining that would harm the swamp and swamp tourism upon which the economies of the local communities depend,' said Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers. 'Here is another opportunity for the Georgia General Assembly and Governor Kemp to make real what Georgians want to see - the wild heart of Georgia - our Okefenokee Swamp and its Trail Ridge protected forever from mining - and get it done right this session.' RELATED STORIES Could titanium dioxide mining impact the Okefenokee Swamp? Here's what we've learned Georgia senator backs federal expansion of Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge US Department of Interior to nominate Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp as UNESCO World Heritage Site Some Charlton County leaders, including Commissioner Drew Jones, have advocated in favor of increased mining. He argued the mine will help the local economy by adding new jobs and products out of the county. 'We live by the mine, if it's going to affect someone's water, it's going to be mine, if there's going to be a wildfire, it's going to affect us,' said Jones last year. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is opposed to the Twin Pines mine. Last month, it made a final decision to further expand the Refuge's boundary by approximately 22,000 acres. FWS says the new lands will allow them to offer more public uses like hunting, fishing, wildlife watching and education programs to drive ecotourism in the community. The refuge welcomes more than 400,000 visitors each year. The Department of the Interior announced last year it is nominating the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to join the UNESCO World Heritage List, among attractions like the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, and the Galapagos Islands. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia lawmakers reintroduce bills to protect Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge from mining
Members of the Georgia State House have once again introduced bills to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining threats. The Okefenokee was named a National Wildlife Refuge in 1937, and provides habitat for many threatened and endangered species, such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, wood storks, and indigo snakes. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The swamp has been the subject of renewed conservation efforts after an Alabama-based company called Twin Pines Minerals, LLC announced plans for a mine. Along the eastern rim of the swamp runs a line of ancient sand dunes called Trail Ridge. The sand is rich in minerals -- notably titanium dioxide. Twin Pines wants to mine it for use as a whitening agent for things like sunscreen, toothpaste and paint. The first 2025 bill, called the Okefenokee Protection Act (House Bill 561), would prohibit the state from permitting or renewing any surface mining operations at Trail Ridge. A second bill, HB 562, would place a five-year moratorium on mining along Trail Ridge. Both bills would still allow mining on Twin Pines Minerals, LLC's proposed 'demonstration' area, which is awaiting final permit approval. The Georgia River Network says this temporary ban on areas of the swamp would allow state regulators and researchers time to evaluate how the Twin pines 'demonstration mine' impacts water levels in the swamp. A similar three-year moratorium passed in the House last year, but never went for a vote in the Senate. 'Both of these bills provide the opportunity for all the legislators and leadership to respond to their constituents to save the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from mining that would harm the swamp and swamp tourism upon which the economies of the local communities depend,' said Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers. 'Here is another opportunity for the Georgia General Assembly and Governor Kemp to make real what Georgians want to see - the wild heart of Georgia - our Okefenokee Swamp and its Trail Ridge protected forever from mining - and get it done right this session.' Read: Citing scientific expert's warning, Sen. Ossoff opposes strip mine proposal near Okefenokee Swamp Some Charlton County leaders, including Commissioner Drew Jones, have advocated in favor of increased mining. He argued the mine will help the local economy by adding new jobs and products out of the county. 'We live by the mine, if it's going to effect someone's water, it's going to be mine, if there's going to be a wildfire, it's going to effect us,' said Jones last year. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is opposed to the Twin Pines mine. Last month, it made a final decision to further expand the Refuge's boundary by approximately 22,000 acres. Related: 'Simply too special:' Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp one of 'America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2023′ FWS says the new lands will allow them to offer more public uses like hunting, fishing, wildlife watching and education programs to drive ecotourism in the community. The refuge welcomes more than 400,000 visitors each year. The Department of the Interior announced last year it is nominating the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to join the UNESCO World Heritage List, among attractions like the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, and the Galapagos Islands. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia House lawmakers float bipartisan bill to protect Okefenokee Swamp from new mining efforts
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Georgia to kayak, hike, fish, and participate in other recreational activities. Photo contributed by Joy Campbell A bipartisan contingent of several dozen Georgia lawmakers signed onto a pair of bills filed Thursday that are designed to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from future mining threats. Thomasville Republican Rep. Darlene Taylor is the lead sponsor of the House Bill 561, so-called Okefenokee Protection Act that would prohibit future mining along the refuge's Trail Ridge. Taylor and several dozen other Republican and Democratic legislators are also backing a 'compromise' mining plan known as House Bill 562, which would place a five-year moratorium on surface mining permits along the Okefenokee Swamp's Trail Ridge while experts evaluate its potential to lower water levels around the the largest blackwater swamp in North America. The fight over surface mining near the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge has intensified since 2019 when an Alabama-based company, Twin Pines Minerals LLC, went public with its plan to mine for titanium oxide and zirconium just outside the current refuge's boundaries. The swamp is near the Florida line near Waycross. Opponents of the mine argue that Trail Ridge, where the mining would take place, plays a vital role in maintaining the swamp's water levels and, therefore, supporting the refuge's famously diverse ecosystem. Rena Ann Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers, said she's optimistic about the chances of a five-year moratorium 'compromise' gaining traction during this year's session after attempts to place a temporary ban on issuing mining permits and to permanently ban future mining faltered last year in the Legislature. 'Twin Pines may get a state permit that gives them the physical license to mine 584 acres of Okefenokee Trail Ridge – but they will never receive the social license to operate at scale the thousands of acres across the rest of their mining site which lies at lower elevations closer to the swamp water level,' Peck said. Last year's Okefenokee Protection Act failed to get a hearing in the House's Natural Resources and Environment Committee, while another bill that would have placed a three-year moratorium on requesting Trail Ridge surface mining permits through Georgia Environmental Protection Division, did not get a floor vote in the Senate. Peck said that the General Assembly and Gov. Brian Kemp have another opportunity this year to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining. The five-year ban on EPD accepting surface mining applications and issuing permits would likely be in place during the five years that Twin Pines is seeking to mine Trail Ridge and its post-mining recovery efforts. 'Five years is justified as the time period for the demonstration mine to show some effects, but certainly not all effects, which could take 10 years or more to see what's really happened,' Peck said. 'The other piece gives time for the conservation buyer community to assemble funds to acquire those lands that are susceptible to mining on Trail Ridge or acquire conservation easements retiring mining.' The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which recommended a 10-year freeze on mining due to potential harm to the swamp, proposed last year to expand the Okefenokee refuge boundary by 22,000 acres if landowners choose to sell. The area added would include land owned by Twin Pines. Twin Pines president Steve Ingle said Thursday's legislation would not affect the company's plans for its 'demonstration mining-to-land-reclamation project.' An EPD spokesperson confirmed Thursday that the Twin Pines project is in the final permitting stage. 'We oppose any moratorium, and the people who will be working for us — who would have to be let go — should oppose it too,' Ingle said in a statement. 'We have every right to mine our property so long as the mining can be done safely without hurting the swamp. EPD will not issue a permit if it is not safe. Our opponents' resorting to legislation, rather than attempting to substantiate the talking points they have used to oppose our project, speaks volumes about the merits of their position.' Mining company vows to forge ahead when permitted despite feds' Okefenokee Refuge expansion plan The Okefenokee mining bills' most influential sponsors include several Republicans who represent Georgia's coastal areas, including Savannah Rep. Ron Stephens, who chairs the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, and St. Marys Rep. Steven Sainz. The bills also have the support of dozens of Democratic legislators, including House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley of Columbus. Megan Desrosiers, president and CEO of Georgia coastal advocacy organization One Hundred Miles, said a five-year moratorium on mining at Trail Ridge gives scientists, the Legislature and landowners time to develop a vision for the area. She expressed concerns about how digging up soil along ancient coastline might affect structural integrity, including hydrological changes and increased fire risks. 'The Okefenokee Swamp relies on Trail Ridge as a kind of wall, a stabilizing structure,' Desrosiers said. 'As they're sifting out the sand to get the heavy minerals, there's going to be a lot of water. The concern is that if they're drawing water from the aquifer then the hydrology of the area will change, which would affect the hydrology of the swamp.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
