Plaintiff conservation organizations bring this action to protect our Nation’s waters and the endangered species that rely on them. During the Trump Administration, Florida worked hand in glove with developers to achieve developers’ “holy grail”: state assumption over Section 404 of the Clean Water Act — which governs dredging and filling of many sensitive wetlands — in one of the most biodiverse states in the country. Between 2017 and 2020, the State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, worked to make this dream a reality. The Defendants’ actions, however, violated multiple federal laws and must be set aside.

We’re in court to force the federal government to protect some of the most important wetlands in America.

We’re making sure that federal and state governments keep their commitments to protect Florida’s wetlands.

On behalf of our clients, Earthjustice filed suit to stop an attempt by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow Florida to fast-track wetlands permits for construction projects that will degrade and ruin Florida’s natural landscape, all in violation of federal environmental laws. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District…

Tania Galloni, Managing Attorney, Florida Office, Earthjustice: “EPA is lowering the bar to allow a state, for the first time, to run the federal wetlands program without meeting federal standards. Developers have called this the ‘holy grail’ because it would make it easier, faster and cheaper for them to get permits for big projects with…

Suit against EPA letting Florida assume federal wetlands permitting

EPA’s approval of developer-backed scheme to turn permitting over to state violates U.S. environmental laws

Quick, is anyone looking? Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just rushed a last-minute gift to Florida’s developers. The EPA wants to give the state the power to fast-track wetlands permits for construction projects that will degrade and ruin Florida’s natural landscape, all in violation of federal environmental laws. We won’t let the federal government abandon…

Tania Galloni, Managing Attorney, Florida Office, Earthjustice: “They are running so fast that they're tripping and they're taking shortcuts. And that's really sort of the bottom line. What they have done is just try to make the program effective immediately without following the process as required by law.”

Stripping environmental review is the last thing beleaguered environment needs