The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades have put federal and state agencies on notice, saying they broke federal environmental law while building a new immigrant detention center in the Everglades.
After filing a lawsuit over the construction of the facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" last month, the Center now warns governmental agencies they're breaking the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Park Organic Act while continuing construction.
ALSO READ: State legislators sue DeSantis, top state officials for being denied entry to 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Lead attorney Elise Bennett said the federal violations in connection with this project include impacts to wetlands, endangered species, and public lands.
She said nine agencies, including Florida's Departments of Environmental Protection and Emergency Management, have 60 days to comply or they'll file suit.
"The government is squandering away our natural riches and driving some of our most endangered species towards extinction, and we can't stand by and let that happen,” Bennett said.
The group said federal and state agencies unlawfully bypassed regulations set in the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
"It also demonstrates that the National Park Service has failed to take the actions required to defend the Big Cypress National Preserve from damages caused by the construction and operation of the mass detention facility," a press release said.
In early July, five Democratic state lawmakers were denied access to the site due to safety concerns and filed suit. The lawmakers are scheduled to have a 90-minute tour of the facility on Saturday, July 11.
A representative for Gov. Ron DeSantis called the lawsuit "frivolous," according to the Associated Press.
In June, the governor took control of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport from Miami-Dade County via emergency powers to build the detention center.
ALSO READ: Environmental groups say Florida and feds are partners in Everglades detention center for immigrants
The facility is in the heart of the Big Cypress National Preserve, a federally protected area and home for the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes for centuries.
"It was wrong from the minute they decided to develop in the middle of Big Cypress National Preserve, and that's kind of the beginning and end of it," Bennett said. "This is such a special place, and we've worked so hard to come back from huge mistakes that we've made in the Everglades."
Everglades National Park was established in 1947 and protects 1.5 million acres of wetland, forest, and marine habitats. It also provides a major source of drinking water for South Florida, according to the National Park Service.
Aerial footage of dredging and construction at the site was also sent to the officials named in the notice, including:
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem
- Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons
- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator David Richardson
- Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum
- National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron
- Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Regional Administrator Kevin J. Omber
- Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert.
WUSF reached out for comment from the agencies listed, but did not receive a response.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
