Amid an environmental threat to manatees in Florida, a federal district judge ruled the state violated the Endangered Species Act in regulating wastewater discharges into an east coast waterway.
1 of 2 | Manatees congregate in the northern Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County. Photo courtesy Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission April 14 (UPI) -- In a 21-page decision Friday, Judge Carlos Mendoza, of the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, backed the plaintiffs. The environmental group Bear Warriors United argued pollution from septic tanks and sewage spills is killing seagrass, causing threatened manatees to starve to death in the Indian River Lagoon. The group, which normally acts on behalf of black bears, fought for manatees, suing in 2022. "This is a true David vs. Goliath victory," Katrina Shadix, executive director of the nonprofit Bear Warriors United, wrote Saturday in a statement posted on Facebook. "We fought for the manatees -- and we won." Manatees are classified by the U.S. government as a threatened species, and they seek warmer waters. The manatees can be found along Florida's Atlantic Coast and the Caribbean Greater Antilles, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. "Florida's manatees can't speak for themselves but Bear Warriors United just roared on their behalf," Shadix said in her press release. "This case is about holding power accountable and defending the right of future generations to live in a state where manatees still swim free." Mendoza ordered the Florida Department of…