MIAMI— On January 14, 2004 the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case of the South Florida Water Management District v. the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, et al. in a case that will decide whether United States taxpayers will continue to spend billions of dollars to clean and restore the South Florida Everglades while allowing a state water management district to continue to dump there.

The case involves the South Florida Water Management District’s practice of pumping polluted water, from urban and agricultural areas into Florida’s famed River of Grass. It was brought by Friends of the Everglades, a small grassroots group founded by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, who live in the Everglades. The suit alleged that the South Florida Water Management District, an agency of the State of Florida, is violating the federal Clean Water Act by collecting and dumping untreated run-off into the Everglades rather that treating it or enforcing pollution laws against landowners. A U.S. District Court and federal Appeals Court have already ruled in favor of Friends and the Tribe.

"The state water management agency has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars defending this indefensible practice in court. It will cost those same taxpayers as much as $1,000 per pound to remove the tons of pollution the SFWMD discharges every year,” said David P. Reiner, President of Friends of the Everglades. "Much of the damage being done by this type of pollution is simply irreversible."

Forty-two groups, including states, cities and Indian tribes, have filed amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Friends of the Everglades and the Miccosukee Tribe's position. Those groups include 14 states, two cities, four Native American coalitions, seven major national organizations, and former Environmental Protection Agency officials. Included are briefs by former EPA Administrator Carol Browner, the National Congress of American Indians, representing over 250 member tribes, and the state of New York - in contrast to the city of New York, which filed a brief supporting the pollution practices.

“This has been an incredibly long and expensive battle for two such small groups to wage,” said Mr. Reiner, “We are grateful to our many individual members and supporters who are struggling to fund this fight, grateful to our attorney, John Childe, for his determination and sacrifice and grateful to the Miccosukee Tribe and its incredible legal staff for their dedication to this cause. We are also very grateful for the amazing support we received by way of supporting briefs from all over the country"

The case was argued on behalf of Friends and the Tribe by former U.S. Attorney Dexter W. Lehtinen, husband of US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL.

For more information please contact:

John E. Childe 717-566-5626
David P. Reiner 305-803-3892
Or visit us on the web at:
www.everglades.org