Florida Supreme Court Affirms Bonds And Public Purpose Of Us Sugar Land Acquisition For Everglades

Nov. 18, 2010 - PRLog -- FLORIDA SUPREME COURT SOUNDLY REJECTS FLORIDA CRYSTALS’ OPPOSITION AND UNANIMOUSLY AFFIRMS BOND VALIDATION AND PUBLIC PURPOSE OF US SUGAR LAND ACQUISITION


CLEWISTON—November 18, 2010—U.S. Sugar is pleased that the Florida Supreme Court has rejected Florida Crystals’ and the Miccosukee Tribe’s specious arguments -- that have bottled up the courts, wasted tax dollars and delayed restoration for more than two years -- and unanimously affirmed the Lower Court’s approval of bond validation and the acquisition’s overwhelming public purpose.  

“The Florida Supreme Court has ruled favorably and unanimously on the South Florida Water Management District’s legal authority to finance the acquisition of US Sugar property for restoration,” said Judy Sanchez, director of corporate communications.  

“This decision also affirmed once and for all that the acquisition of U.S. Sugar lands fulfills a valid and extremely important public purpose in providing land for water storage and treatment to benefit the Everglades ecosystem and the coastal estuaries,” Sanchez said.

"Hopefully, Florida Crystals now will re-focus their resources on partnering in restoring the Everglades and abandon their offensive legal and political wrangling," Sanchez said.

# # #

U.S. Sugar is the country’s largest vertically integrated producer of sugarcane and refined cane sugar and one of Florida’s major producers of oranges and orange juice products. U.S. Sugar also owns an independent short line railroad, SCFE.