Judge bans Navy from using sonar off Southern California

[Judi Lynn]

Source: L. A. Times

Judge bans Navy from using sonar off Southern California
Federal jurist backs activists, saying use during training exercises off Southern California could harm whales.
By Kenneth R. Weiss, Times Staff Writer
August 7, 2007

A federal judge in Los Angeles banned the U.S. Navy from using high-powered sonar in nearly a dozen upcoming training exercises off Southern California, ruling Monday that it could "cause irreparable harm to the environment."

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper issued the preliminary injunction after rejecting the Navy's request to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The lawsuit, along with a similar one filed by the California Coastal Commission, argues for broader safeguards to protect marine mammals from powerful blasts of mid-frequency active sonar that have been linked elsewhere to panicked behavior and mass die-offs of whales.

The Navy, which plans to appeal the decision, said even a temporary ban would disrupt crucial training of sailors before they are sent overseas. The Navy uses the sonar to detect potentially hostile vessels, including quiet diesel submarines, which one captain called "the most lethal enemy known" on the high seas.



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-sonar7aug07,1,7201241.story?coll=la-news-environment

[Hekate]

1. KnR. Thanks for the hopeful post.nt

:kick:

Hekate

[Judi Lynn]

3. Thank YOU! n/t

[ShaneTuck]

13. 1

[ThomCat]

2. That is awesome! I hope they can make this permanent.

It's stupid and offensive that the military can get exemptions to use any technology, no matter how devestating it is to the environment and ecosystem, simply because they're the military.

If our lives depended on that sonar, and it wasn't just military exageration saying so, then on an emergency basis I could see approving it. But short of an emergency, there's no reason we need to be using technology that kills off the whales.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Absolutely right. There's no emergency more urgent than allowing the planet

and its inhabitants to continue their lives.

Self-defense shouldn't lead to self-destruction, and it will be if these people continue their patterns without rethinking them.

Unchecked, they'll be handing us an empty sea, except for submarines, tree-less, smog filled land, and a whole lot of enormous right-wingers, waited upon by only enough leftists to do their work for them.

[rucognizant]

5. Clinton Fans?

It was back in 1994 that Pres. Clinton issued an Executive order, overturning the DEP's ban on using sonar! They've ( whales) been beaching ever since. He lost me then! Hillary too. I might stay married to a man who transgressed with an Intern; BUT I would divorce a man who endangered a harmless creature of nature!

And what's the danger of under water subs anyway????? That's SOOOO "Old America"! Yes the Germans were sneaking close to our shores during WWII. I remember, I was terrified as a child when we went to the Jersey shore! Under 6 years old I visualized a sub coming right up onto the beach in front of me. Yes the Russians had subs, we almost accidentally bombed one ( carrying nuclear bombs,) in Cuban waters in 1962...........but now the Russian atomic fleet is rusting out, Osama has no access to the sea..................
Oh I guess Isreal DOES have nuclear subs! ...ooops!

[blondie58]

6. this is great news

whales are such magnificent creatures. I sure hope that the Navy can't overturn this.

Welcome to DU, rucogizant!

[Acadia Blue]

7. Our government loves to kill Whales and Dolphins.....

[Exultant Democracy]

8. Too bad it won't help the whales one bit, this new sonar is no joke and shouldn't be used anywhere

This will cause any whale in the same ocean serious discomfort and possibly harm or death.

[MasonJar]

9. Get rid of the Navy is my suggestion.

[SayWhatYo]

10. all navies or just the US navy?

[arikara]

11. I'm sure glad to see some interest in this

I posted about their plans to use this deadly sonar and a link to send a letter in protest... twice. The first time nobody even read it. The second time I jazzed up the title and got 3 or 4 responses. It made me sad for DU.

http://www.savebiogems.org/whales/

[ShaneTuck]

12. Court halts Navy’s ability to train realistically off Southern California

Hello,

My name is Petty Officer Shane Tuck, and I have some information on the Navy's perspective on this issue. The Navy issued the following release regarding the court decision:

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Navy officials say they are deeply concerned by today’s federal court ruling that prohibits the Navy from training realistically before deploying Sailors and Marines potentially into harm’s way.

A U.S. district judge in Los Angeles granted a preliminary injunction -- requested by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental and animal protection groups -- that bars the Navy from using active sonar during critical joint task force training exercises and composite training unit exercises through 2009 in the ocean off Southern California.

“We are disappointed in the court’s decision and plan to appeal the imposition of an injunction,” said Mr. Don Schregardus, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for the environment. “The decision puts Sailors and Marines at risk by ordering the Navy to stop critical anti-submarine warfare training while we complete Environmental Impact Statements on our training ranges.”

Vice Adm. Samuel Locklear, the San Diego-based commander of the U.S. Third Fleet who oversees naval training in the Eastern Pacific, said, “To the extent this court decision prevents us from using active sonar, it potentially puts American lives and our national security at risk.”

The Navy has conducted similar exercises in the Southern California Operating Area for 70 years and has used similar active sonar technology for the past 40 years.

“In all those years, not a single stranding or injury of a marine mammal has been associated with the Navy’s use of MFA sonar in the Southern California Operating Area,” Locklear said.

Full Article at: http://www.cpf.navy.mil/news_images/0708/070806a.html

For more information, I recommend viewing http://www.whalesandsonar.navy.mil/

[Megahurtz]

15. Hi Shane,

My Dad was a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy during World War II at Pearl Harbor.
With all due respect to you in your position.:patriot:

Since I did not see your post until now, my post below was not meant to be a disrespect to you or necessarily the Navy, but was meant to convey the message that in the larger scheme of things all this War at present is unnecessary and it's killing the Planet and all who live here, and it needs to stop for everyone's survival. Peace, please!

[Megahurtz]

14. GOOD!!!

I'm tired off all this War Shit. :mad: