Supreme Court Takes Up Pollution Cases

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Jan. 14, 2004

Supreme Court Takes Up Pollution Cases
GINA HOLLAND
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is looking at cases from opposite coasts that challenge pollution regulations, part of the court's unusually in-depth review this year of environmental issues.

In cases involving the Florida Everglades and Los Angeles smog, justices were considering on Wednesday whether lower courts were too protective of the environment. The Bush administration wants the high court to overturn both decisions.

One case, being closely watched by the nation's water managers, pits the 500-member Miccosukee Indian tribe and an environment group against a water district the Indians accuse of illegally dumping pollutants into Florida's Everglades.

The tribe says a South Florida Water Management District pump west of Fort Lauderdale dumps as much as 423,000 gallons a minute of polluted runoff from suburban lawns, farms and industrial yards into the Everglades, including 189,000 acres the state leased to the tribe and promised to keep in its natural state. (snip)

The Bush administration says it supports the water district, even though such a ruling could limit government authority in clean water cases.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7705883.htm

[La_Serpiente]

1. related thread

but not a dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=3991

[Judi Lynn]

2. This's also related:Biscayne,Everglades among 10 most imperiled parks

Group lists Biscayne, Everglades among 10 most imperiled parks in U.S.

By David Fleshler
Staff Writer
Posted January 14 2004

Biscayne and Everglades national parks on Tuesday were named to an environmental group's list of the 10 most endangered parks in the United States.

The National Parks Conservation Association said Biscayne suffers from pollution, overfishing and damage by boaters and divers. Everglades, a perennial member of the list, still faces pollution from farms and cities, rock mining along its border and the delay of projects to deliver more water to its wetlands. (snip)

Boating has also caused significant damage, the group said. Motorboats tear up seagrass beds; anchors damage coral reefs. The park is working on plans that could restrict boating. (snip)

Also named to the list were Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho; Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas; Joshua Tree National Preserve, California; Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona; Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee; Shenandoah National Park, Virginia; Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, 26 states and Washington, D.C.; and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cbiscayne14jan14,0,5761781.story?coll=sfla-news-broward