"Until Florida is forced to rein in its rampant pollution, manatees will continue to die slow, agonizing deaths by starvation every winter. The EPA must act immediately to improve water-quality standards lest it further jeopardizes the future of this iconic species.”
Lindsay Durbin, Staff Attorney for Defenders of Wildlife
Three conservation groups issued a formal notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to protect manatees from water pollution in Florida.
Over half of the more than 1,000 manatee deaths in Florida this year were attributable to starvation. The mass die-off was caused by pollution-fueled algae blooms that killed thousands of acres of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon, highlighting the inadequacy of the state’s federally approved water-quality standards.
EPA to Be Sued for Failure to Protect Manatees from Water Pollution
Lindsay Durbin, Staff Attorney for Defenders of Wildlife
Three conservation groups issued a formal notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to protect manatees from water pollution in Florida.
Over half of the more than 1,000 manatee deaths in Florida this year were attributable to starvation. The mass die-off was caused by pollution-fueled algae blooms that killed thousands of acres of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon, highlighting the inadequacy of the state’s federally approved water-quality standards.
EPA to Be Sued for Failure to Protect Manatees from Water Pollution