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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2002

A federal appeals court on Friday sided with the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida, ruling that state officials have to comply with federal law before pumping polluted water into the Everglades.

The tribe and Friends of the Everglades, an environmental group, sued the South Florida Water Management District to force water managers to meet standards of the Clean Water Act. The tribe and the group believe the polluted water has destroyed the Everglades ecosystem and has harmed tribal land.

A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed and said a federal judge can issue an order requiring the water district to obtain a permit. If necessary, the tribe and the group could seek criminal penalties if the district doesn't comply within a certain amount of time, the judges said.

Get the Decision:
MICCOSUKEE TRIBE OF INDIANS OF FLORIDA v. S. FLORIDA WATER MGMT. DIST., No. 00-15703 (11th Cir. February 01, 2002)

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