LEGLESS LIZARDS STAND IN WAY OF NEW PRISON UNIT

Endangered lizard impedes construction of maximum security building at Australian prison

Some of you may be able to recall the 1973 saga of the endangered snail darter, a tiny fish, that delayed the completion of the Tellico Dam on the Little Tennessee River. Environmentalists obtained an injunction to stop construction of the dam under the Endangered Species act. The case eventually reached the Supreme Court which upheld the injunction. It took a Congressional Act to overturn the SCOTUS decision and allow the dam to be completed in 1979.

At this time Australia is embroiled in its own ‘snail darter’ controversy. Correctional authorities in Victoria want to construct a new maximum security building at Barwon Prison to house Victoria’s most dangerous prison inmates. Environmentalists are trying to stop the construction because the site is the habitat of an endangered species of legless lizards.

Here is the heads up from Dorina Lisson:

A maximum security unit planned to be built at Barwon Prison has been dealt a blow to the Department of Corrections Victoria. The building cannot go ahead due to concerns there could be rare 'legless lizards' in the area.

The proposed maximum security building was to house the state's most dangerous criminals. Although the Department of Corrections expects to proceed with the building, Melbourne Zoo animal experts, including animal and human rights activists, are strongly opposed to the building, due to the possible risk of extinction of the legless lizards.

Now, if you think Dorina is joking, you are wrong. Australia’s station 3AW reports there are two species of legless lizards in Australia and the ones around Barwon Prison are thought to be in danger of extinction.