Court Orders US Navy to Respect Marine Wildlife
August 8th, 2007Joining the California Coastal Commission, and handing a legal victory to both the Commission and environmental groups, the US Federal District Court ruled this week that the US Navy’s plan to use sonar in offshore waters was illegal and woefully inadequate.
In resonse, the Navy said it would continue to seek permission to harass and kill whales and other marine wildlife, and that it operates in a “blind and deaf” manner. Ed.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sonar7aug07,1,1467065.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=4&cset=true
From the Los Angeles 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.