Environmental groups reached a compromise with state lawmakers over how much sugar producers should pay to clean up their wastewater.

Over the past few weeks, environmental activists have been working with lawmakers to get sugar producers—whose farms create wastewater that runs off into the Everglades—to pay more for their pollution clean-up.

A compromise was reached on Wednesday.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, now requires sugar companies to continue paying an elevated tax of $25 per acre for an indefinite amount of time. This higher tax rate was set to decrease to $10 in the next few years.

Audubon Society of Florida Executive Director Eric Draper said Caldwell’s bill would result in about $150 million more for Everglades restoration.

“We found a balance between the cost for the public and the cost for the sugar famers,” he said. “I think it’s a very reasonable balance. More importantly, the funds that are going to come in--both from the tax as well as from appropriations--are linked to Everglades water quality plans. We know that that money is going to be there and that’s a good thing.”

Environmental activists have argued that lowering the tax on sugar companies would result in a larger burden for taxpayers, who will already pay more than a billion dollars to clean up after sugar farms.

However, the bill did not secure funding for a restoration project in Lee County.

Draper said they were hoping to get some money for water storage along the Caloosahatchee River.

“We are still working hard to get that,” he said. “The good news is that Rep. Caldwell has committed to help make sure that that funding is secure.”

Draper said the freshwater runoff along the river has been killing sea grass.