Judge bans Navy from using sonar off Southern California (save the whales)

[babylonsister]

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.

"It's akin to sending a hunter into the woods after one of the most lethal preys known, but sending him in partly deaf and blind," said Navy Capt. Neil May, assistant chief of staff for 3rd Fleet training and readiness.

Over the last decade, scientists have linked mid-frequency active sonar to a number of mass strandings or panicked behavior of whales after naval exercises in the waters off Greece, Hawaii, the Bahamas and elsewhere.

more...

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-sonar7aug07,1,7765844.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&ctrack=2&cset=true

[texpatriot2004]

1. Thank you Judge nm

[babylonsister]

2. Good news, for now. nt

[Annces]

3. Yey for National Resources Defense Council

May the force be with them.

[Help me help Earth]

4. WTF? That's a terrible decision.

I like whales, but I like a properly defended nation much more.

[sonias]

7. What a strange answer

Just doesn't seem to go with your "Help me help Earth" screen name. There are much more safer ways to defend the US than to sacrifice whales or innocents.

Sonia

[Help me help Earth]

8. I'm not convinced sonar is as harmful to whales as this case makes it out.

Amusingly enough, the first two sites that come up under a "whales navy" Google search are the NRDC and the Navy's respective sites about whales and sonar. Both make a decent case for their side of the story. Frankly, if it's only half as bad (or good) as either describe, I'm not too concerned.

[The Stranger]

5. AMEN.

"I don't want your war machines, I don't want your ghetto scenes."

[sonias]

6. Great news for the whales

Why can't we live in peace with these wonderful creatures. Bless the activists that took the case to court.
:applause:

Sonia

[Major Hogwash]

9. Wow, that took a long time to get that stopped.

I think the laswsuit was first filed in 1998.

[ShaneGR]

10. Mixed feelings on this one...

I certainly want everything done to protect marine life, particularly endangered species, but I've got a real problem with sending US soldiers overseas without the proper training to defend themselves. I can't in good faith sit here and complain that our men in and women in Iraq don't have the proper equipment and then turn around and cheer when we send sailors overseas without sonar training (sonar training being a primary naval defense).

[KT2000]

11. Good news

I think if people had all of their senses scrambled, we would call it torture.