Posted on 08/27/2003 6:18:10 AM PDT by hchutch
A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday prohibited the Navy from testing a powerful sonar system in most parts of the world's oceans, ruling that the booming sounds to detect enemy submarines could "irreparably harm" whales, dolphins and fish.
U.S. District Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte ruled that the Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to consider alternatives that could shield whales and other marine life from these loud sounds, which some acousticians compare to standing next to the space shuttle at takeoff.
She ordered military and federal regulators to meet with environmental lawyers and their scientific experts to outline areas of the Pacific Ocean where the Navy can safely test the system. She recommended that the Navy give wide berth to coastal waters with abundant sea life as well as steer clear of corridors used by migrating whales and areas where they congregate.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Couldn't agree more.
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