Ultra Lawyer: Environmental Concerns Are Overblown, No Wildlife Will Be Harmed

This weekend, Ultra will bring around 125,000 EDM fans to its new home on Virginia Key, a wildlife sanctuary that’s normally home only to manatees, birds, crocodiles and other protected wildlife. Despite a long list of concerns raised by local nonprofit Miami Waterkeeper and other environmentalists, the festival’s organizers insist no harm will be done to the island’s wild inhabitants.

Coral Gables: If You Must Use Fake Grass, Hide It

When Miami city officials decided to tear out grass along Brickell Avenue and replace it with artificial turf last fall, residents were not pleased. A days-long protest ensued, complete with “Save me! I will die soon” signs on trees the protesters said would be smothered by the fake sod. Now,…

South Florida Family Wins Right to Drill for Oil in Everglades

The Florida Everglades sure seem like a place where oil rigs don’t belong. The unique habitat contains tons of endangered species — and humans have demonstrably corrupted it enough already. But today, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled that an investment company in Broward County…

New Bill Would Ban Smoking on Florida Beaches

Two years ago, when Miami Beach commissioners wanted to reduce smoking on city beaches, they had only one option: asking nicely. Florida is one of a few states where municipalities cannot regulate tobacco use, so the commission created voluntary smoke-free areas at Fifth Street and 86th Street, where pastel-colored…