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“The defendants adversely impacted wetlands, which play a critical
role in maintaining water quality, providing habitat for fish and
wildlife, reducing flood damage, and providing recreational
opportunities for the public”, said Cynthia Giles, assistant
administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance.
“The sentences show that EPA, in conjunction with its federal and state
law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and seek
prosecution for those who harm these essential natural resources.
The two defendants were ordered to pay a criminal fine totaling
$2.25 million dollars, the largest criminal fine assessed for
wetlands-related violations in Florida history. D’Isernia was sentenced
to pay a $100,000 criminal fine, while Lagoon Landing, LLC was sentenced
to pay a $2.15 million criminal fine, a $1 million community service
payment, and a term of three years probation."
Read more... at Huntington News.
5 comments:
Hooray for that EPA so few of us would recognize. They actually applied the law on these guys. I hope this adjudication gets a lot of publicity to forewarn similar greedy, immoral developers. Where do we send the Commendations Award?
I want to see some of these sob's go to jail right along with the politicians who allow them to destroy our State right on down to local municipality elected officials. This includes all the corruption from commissioners lately on heights in Lake Worth.
This guy has been screwing our wetlands since 2005!!! Jesus!!! Florida is a JOKE !! Wonder how many under the table millions went into campaign coffers around the state and nation.
EPA does not deserve kudos for this selective enforcement.
I am glad this guy did not get away with destroying wetlands, but right across town the Airport Authority got away with much worse damage, burying miles of wetlands, sea grass, creek bottoms with sediment when their inadequate stormwater ponds failed.
After outrage from local enviros and other citizens (with Linda Young/Clean Water Network FL leading the charge), EPA opened an investigation in 2009. And when the local FBI agent found out about it, he was livid (Yes - Fed Bureau of Investigation). Guess what happened to the EPA investigation.
The permanent destruction to wetlands and pristine creeks from repeated failures at the airport over several years fisheries far exceeds the concentrated damage of the current case. The difference is the current criminal did not have the right connections
You guys must have had the same FBI guys over there that we had here in Palm Beach county. We begged them to investigate utility dept /FEMA rip-offs here in Lake Worth after the hurricanes in 2005. Nothing ever happened, even though MILLIONS disappeared. It sure does pay to "work for the Govt. ,don't it?"
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