The classic environmental issue

Environmental issues are rarely straightforward. The construction of the Tellico Dam not only proved to be an exceptionally complex environmental problem but also developed into a major political issue in its own right. Following the discovery of a previously unknown species of fish near the site of the nearly completed dam, environmentalists began a long legal battle to halt construction work and protect the habitat of the fish. The United States Supreme Court found in their favour, but local political interests, through a series of clever manoeuvres, succeeded in exempting the dam from all legislation to secure its completion. The blatant use of political expediency to resolve an environmental dilemma makes the Tellico Dam a classic case study for students of environmental policy and decision-making.