DuPont mining plans on hold

After SELC filed comments and weighed in at public hearings, DuPont has withdrawn its application for a surface mining permit in Wayne County. The company has its eyes on deposits of titanium dioxide, zircon, and other heavy metals found in a line of ancient sand dunes and has leased more than 4,000 acres around the county. As originally planned, however, the mine could siphon away the groundwater feeding local wells, destroy up to 194 acres of wetlands, create pollution, and put scores of heavy dump trucks on local roads. SELC’s collaboration with local partners such as the Altamaha and Satilla Riverkeepers and Greenlaw was a key to raising grassroots awareness about the project.