Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Rule Changes

As of October 2026: Defendant in the manatee suit; order vacated

A federal appeals court threw out a ruling that blamed Florida's sewage permits for manatee deaths in the northern Indian River Lagoon. The Fish and Wildlife Service had rescinded the Endangered Species Act's definition of 'harm,' which for 40 years treated habitat damage as an illegal 'take.'

Updated Oct 10