A company planning to drill for oil in the Everglades won a major legal victory Monday, when a state appeals court refused a request by the state of Florida to rehear the case.
Kanter Real Estate LLC, which owns about 20,000 acres in the Everglades, plans to drill an exploratory well about six miles west of Miramar. Although the Florida Department of Environmental Protection refused to issue a permit, the company challenged the denial and won a series of court victories.
A three-judge panel of the First District Court of Appeal found in favor of the company last month, ordering the state to issue a permit. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state had asked the full court to rehear the case, arguing that it was of high public importance.
But on Monday, the court posted a one-page notice refusing the request.
“Motion for rehearing en banc filed by the appellee, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, on February 20, 2019, is denied,” the court said.
John Kanter, president of the company, said the court’s order affirmed the company’s position that its project complied with state law.
“Our focus on being responsible applicants and operators has been validated once again by yet another judicial proceeding,” he said. “We are happy to be finally moving forward.”
The decision does not exhaust the state’s options, which could include an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
dfleshler@sun-sentinel.com, 954-356-4535