TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Striking down a challenge filed by industries and farmers, a federal appeals court in Atlanta has upheld a historic clean-water settlement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Earthjustice.



The settlement, reached in 2009, requires the EPA to set limits on sewage, fertilizer and manure in Florida's waterways. Earthjustice director David Guest is celebrating the ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.



"Obviously, we're pretty happy. It means that the efforts by associations of polluting industries that keep the water dirty have been turned back again."



Florida's families should not have to endure the public-health threat posed by contaminated rivers, springs, lakes and beaches, Guest says, adding that the water flowing from kitchen taps needs to be clean.



The Caloosahatchee River in southwest Florida was covered with nauseating green slime and rotting fish for weeks. Guest claims polluters keep trying to use Florida's public waters as private sewers, adding that nobody wants to come to Florida to look a slime-infested dead fish in the eye.



Earthjustice intends to keep up the legal battle, Guest says.



"We've got another huge lawsuit - 11 coalitions of polluting associations and their government allies. That's going to hearing in December."



Florida's commercial and industrial community claims the environmental restrictions will cut financial growth and cost jobs.



The text of the ruling is online at fweauc.org.