• Font Size    

Going Green Has Never Been Easier!

Eating Green And A Healthful Diet
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Everglades Land Deal Lawsuit In Closing Arguments

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Aug 6, 2009 6:32 pm US/Eastern

Everglades Land Deal Lawsuit In Closing Arguments

WEST PALM BEACH (CBS4) ― A court case that could jeopardize Florida's historic land deal to save the Everglades went to closing arguments Thursday in a West Palm Beach courtroom.

The lawsuit could undo Florida's historic planned $536 million deal to buy land from U.S. Sugar Corp. for Everglades restoration.

South Florida water managers plan to buy 73,000 acres of farmland from the company to construct reservoirs and water treatment marshes. The deal also leaves open the option for the state to purchase more land from the nation's largest cane sugar producer.

But U.S. Sugar's main rival, Florida Crystals, and the Miccosukee Indians have sued over the deal. Closing arguments started Thursday. They claim it is an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars and could further delay Everglades restoration efforts.

The water district says the deal is a historic opportunity to get more land for restoration.

This is not the first time the land deal runs into trouble. In April Governor Charlie Crist announced he was cutting back his $1.34 billion deal to buy the land from U.S. Sugar Corporation because of the ongoing recession in the U.S.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Sizzling Summer 2009

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

EcoZone/Green Florida

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Television Stations Inc. All Rights Reserved.