navy reached agreement with environmental groups

By Andrea Ritchie

On Friday, the U.S. Navy and several environmental groups reached an agreement allowing the Navy to continue its use of powerful sonar in Hawaii during military excercises.

Federal district judge Florence-Marie Cooper, of Los Angeles, granted environmental groups a temporary restraining order against Navy, on Monday, for violating the National Environmental Protection Act with sonar technology.

The disagreement was whether the so-called midfrequency sonar, which sends strong sound waves under water to detect foreign submarines, causes harm to whales and other marine mammals.

In this agreement, the Navy will be able to use the sonar technology, but be required to post observers to look after the whales and other mammals to see if they are affected.

The Pentagon got involved a week ago in an effort to ensure the Navy's ability to use their sonar technology during the upcoming war games. This gives the service an interim national security exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The Navy appealed Judge Cooper's ruling in the federal appeals court in San Francisco, and lifted the limit of sonar technology from June 26 through July 28. This enabled the Navy to participate in the Rim of the Pacific, or Rimpac.

Rimpac is an excercise that involves military unites from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Chile, and Peru.

"Rimpac is the only opportunity for these participating nations to train together," the Navy said. "It's the only exercise scheduled in the next two years in which Pacific Rim forces can engage in realistic antisubmarine warfare training."

For more information:

U.S. Navy
Rimpac 2009
Endangered Whales