A federal judge has ruled against activists for the St. Lucie River who sued the federal government on claims that it violated their property rights by allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to pollute the waterway with massive discharges from Lake Okeechobee.

Judge Lynn Bush said the discharges’ long-term environmental effects on a “national treasure” were tragic, but she agreed with federal lawyers who argued that the property owners were past a six-year statute of limitations to pursue their case.

Even if they weren’t, she said, their property rights claim still would fail under state and federal law.

The plaintiffs, whose suit is being paid for by the non-profit Rivers Coalition Legal Defense Fund, waited several years to have their case heard in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington. They sought $50 million in damages, once the combined market value of their 22 riverside properties.

Karl Wickstrom, coordinator for the Rivers Coalition, said they plan to appeal the decision, which was released last week.

“We think she’s dead wrong,” he said. “It’d be scary if we couldn’t be protected from our own government when they pollute the water.” (more…)

One of Martin County’s most beloved beaches may be closed indefinitely.

Bathtub Reef Beach, known for its worm-rock reef and calm waters, has been closed off and on since storms left it battered and severely eroded more than two years ago.

The parking lot is full of sand. Bathrooms are closed. Litter is common, and the reef has been damaged by graffiti and illicit beachgoers trampling on its delicate structure.

County officials, who closed the beach until further notice in October, are short on cash and solutions to shore up one of their most recognizable natural landmarks. They say it may never look like it once did. (more…)

Support is growing for another of St. Lucie County’s “green” initiatives.

Four banks have committed a combined $20 million to establish a non-profit bank that would provide low-interest loans to homeowners and businesses looking to make environmentally friendly changes, such as installing solar panels. (more…)

The Fort Pierce City Marina, the crown jewel of downtown Fort Pierce before being ravaged by hurricanes five years ago, may finally be rebuilt.

City officials say the $20 million project will be an environmental and economic boon to the city, adding to revitalization efforts downtown.

Already, Marina Square and the river walk have been restored. A new library and county courthouse have gone in. Community events often are held downtown.

The only thing missing, city officials say, is to restore the city-owned marina. (more…)

Releases of polluted Lake Okeechobee water help fuel discharges like this one from the St. Lucie Lock into the river downstream. (2005 file photo, TCPalm)

After years of waiting, activists for the St. Lucie River will face off Friday with the federal government in a lawsuit in which they say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated their property rights by polluting the waterway with discharges from Lake Okeechobee.

The plaintiffs, whose suit is being paid for by the nonprofit Rivers Coalition Legal Defense Fund, are seeking $50 million in damages, the combined market value of their riverside properties.

“It’s an historic case that could have ramifications not just in Florida but across the nation,” said Karl Wickstrom, coordinator for the Rivers Coalition.

A hearing is scheduled at 1 p.m. in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington. A decision is not expected that day.

Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard, Stuart City Commissioner Mike Mortell and Sewall’s Point Commissioner Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch plan to attend the hearing.

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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Federal regulators’ concern with sea-turtle nesting prompted county commissioners Tuesday to stretch a $7.3 million North Beach-restoration job over two years.

“They don’t have a high level of confidence in the (inland sand) material the county is proposing,” county Coastal Resources Manager Jonathan Gorham told commissioners. (more…)

VERO BEACH — Humiston Park Beach reopened after a couple of hours of feces scooping Thursday.

The culprit wasn’t four-legged, but instead has flippers, Indian River County officials said. Manatees are responsible for what may have been a mile-long stretch of excrement that piled up along the beach. Late Thursday afternoon, more manatee mess was spotted at Tracking Station Beach Park, officials said. (more…)

FORT PIERCE — Jumping from boats into waist-deep, brackish water, nearly two dozen people formed a chain alongside a small island in the Indian River Lagoon.

Their mission? To create an oyster reef in the hope of improving the health of the 156-mile-long estuary.

Oyster reefs, built of discarded shells gathered from beaches and restaurants on the Treasure Coast, can replenish depleted oyster populations, provide habitat for marine life, and improve water quality by filtering gallons of water each day. Building the reefs has been a project of St. Lucie County, the Florida Oceanographic Society, the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and the University of Florida’s St. Lucie County Extension Office for about four years. The groups hope to create 11 reefs, growing oysters as larvae, called “spat,” that come through the area and attach to the old shells.

“It would be a wonderful thing for the lagoon,” said captain Barry “Chop” Lege, who leads boat tours on the lagoon and helped transport volunteers to the site last week. (more…)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — After weeks of police officer training in a classroom, Indian River State College students move on to a small platform that provides a high-tech simulation of how they react in a real-life situation.

They’re given a weapon that only emits lasers and equipped with a belt that zaps them if they put themselves in danger.

“It teaches consequences if they make bad decisions,” Stephen Huntsberger, associate dean of Public Service Education for IRSC, said of the VirTra Systems simulator at the complex.

The simulator is one of the planned demonstrations at Friday’s public open house at the new Indian River State College Public Safety Complex.
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STUART — It was “bizarre” for Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder to repeatedly pat the short, spiky haircut of Detective Jennifer Heard, her lawyer said, and he expects Heard’s sexual harassment complaint to lead to a federal discrimination suit.

“We fully expect to file a lawsuit and just litigate the matter,” said Justus Reid, a lawyer representing Heard. “The overall theme will be gender discrimination and, in effect, sexual harassment that went on in the department.”

Heard filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in May alleging the sexual harassment against her began shortly after she was hired in September 1996 and continued for the next 12 years in the form of sexual advances, catcalls and a suggestive nickname. She also accused Crowder of belittling her by patting her on the head.
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