A hotly debated mining project near the federally protected Okefenokee Swamp has stalled over a $2 million permit requirement needed before Georgia regulators make a final decision.

A federal agency has delivered a big setback to a company's controversial plan to mine at the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp's vast wildlife refuge.

Courtesy Volusia NaturalistST. GEORGE, Ga. - The president of an Alabama company says hes confident that his firm can mine for titanium on land just east of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge without polluting the water or soil, despite concerns expressed by a federal agency. Weve done detailed studies to acquire scientifically correct methods to show no effects on the refuge or the (Floridan) aquifer, Ingle said. Fish and Wildlife Service wrote in February that its concerned the proposed mine would pose substantial risks to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The company wants to mine titanium dioxide less than 4 miles from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Its the largest federal refuge east of the Mississippi River, covering nearly 630 square miles near the Georgia-Florida state line.