| This is the story of an iconic struggle in the early history of the environmental movement. The struggle over Storm King Mountain fundamentally changed environmental politics in New York State, greatly contributed to the nascent movement in New York City and launched a number of environmental organizations (Scenic Hudson, River Keeper, Natural Resources Defense Council) that continue to play a significant role in local, regional and national issues. As a result Storm King became one of the most recognized and remarked upon environmental controversies of its time.;This recognition also stems from the fact that this struggle witnessed and played a role in bridging an earlier conservation movement with an emerging environmentalism. A part of that transition is founded upon a series of legal decisions opponents of the Storm King plant secured that, for the first time, granted environmentalists access to the federal courts. Prior to this struggle, plaintiffs lacking an economic interest did not have standing to sue in federal court. This change in federal jurisprudence had a powerful impact on public interest law and was codified in much of the landmark environmental legislation of the 1970's. As such, this story examines both the early promise of the environmental movement as well as revealing the sources of its limitations. |
