SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The company seeking permits to mine minerals near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp and its vast wildlife refuge has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine to Georgia environmental regulators, who say the company violated state laws while collecting soil samples for its permit application. The plan is required for Twin Pines to qualify for a permit. Twin Pines has insisted it can mine without harming the swamp. An attorney for Twin Pines said Wednesday the company denies any wrongdoing. The Army Corps entered an agreement with Twin Pines to maintain its hands-off position in 2022.

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Persons: “, Lewis Jones, Josh Marks, EPD, ” Marks, Donald Trump, Joe Biden Organizations: Georgia Environmental, Twin, Twin Pines Minerals, Twin Pines, Regulators, Refuge, ”, National Park Service, UNESCO, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, Georgia, Twin Pines, Alabama, Twin, Mississippi, Atlanta, blackwater