Environmentalists Threaten to Sue Over Everglades
A coalition of environmental groups says it will sue state and federal agencies because restoration plans are moving too slowly to save the struggling Florida Everglades.
The environmental groups said Sept. 18 that the lawsuits will be filed within 60 days over the failure to restore the freshwater flow and improve water quality in the polluted Florida Bay at the state’s southern tip.
The planned lawsuit under the federal Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws arises from the alleged mismanagement of the extensive system of canals that is draining Everglades National Park and depriving Florida Bay of fresh water.
They complained that plans to buy the necessary land to restore the water flow, expected to take another 20 years, will not be soon enough.
The Army Corps of Engineers is reviewing the complaint, said Jacquelyn Griffin, a spokeswoman in Jacksonville.
John Neuharth, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, said water managers will be glad to talk with the conservation groups.
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