Robert F. Bukaty / AP
After the 11th Circuit reinstated a lawsuit against a real estate developer for allegedly landscaping over wetlands without proper permits; Atlanta, Georgia, conservationists are hoping for stricter enforcement of the clean water act. The executive director of the Center for a Sustainable Coast has claimed that a problem most environmental cases face is that they are not common to be argued for. He also stated that he is hopeful that this case will pave the way for more even-handed interpretations of a citizen's rights to challenge decisions that are viewed as contrary to the clean water act.
In 2019, the Glynn Environmental Coalition and Center for a Sustainable Coast and a local resident sued real estate developer Sea Island Acquisition for the development of half an acre of wetland on Georgia's St. Simons Island claiming that it was not compliant with the permit issued by the Clean Water Act. A chief U.S. Circut Judge stated the allegations of the developer depriving the local resident of the aesthetic pleasure of the wetlands was sufficient evidence to establish an injury.