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Michael H. Standart
Moderator
Username: mstandart
Post Number: 11678
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 5:51 am: | 
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From MSNBC.com:
quote:By Audrey McAvoy
Updated: 9:50 p.m. ET Jan 23, 2007
HONOLULU - The Defense Department gave the Navy permission Tuesday to keep training with sonar for another two years, a move denounced by activists who say the sound waves can harm dolphins and other marine mammals.
Navy officials had sought the two-year exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection Act, allowed under the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, saying they needed time to study how sonar use at major underwater training ranges affects the environment.
The environmental impact statements required by the Marine Mammal Protect Act will take about two years, Navy officials said.
For the rest of the story, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16778462/
Opinion: I'm all for protecting the environment, but by the same token, it would be a nice move on the part of activists to come up with some good alternative ideas as to how the Navy can still train. Deisel-electric submarines on batteries are among the hardest things in the ocean to find because they are as quiet as they are, and the technology to silence these boats is only getting better. This is especially true of air-independant propulsion systems such as fuel cells which are now being built.
Since these boats are nearly impossible to pick up by hearing them, finding them before they have a chance to do you dirty requires active sensors.
Cordially,
Michael H. Standart
Equal Opportunity Curmudgeon
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Michael H. Standart
Moderator
Username: mstandart
Post Number: 12178
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 3:47 pm: |
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Sonar is in the news again. From the Navy Newsstand:
Navy Takes Legal Steps to Safeguard Classified Information
quote:From Navy Office of Information
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- In order to prevent disclosure of certain classified and sensitive national security information, the Department of the Navy announced on March 20 that they have asserted the state secrets privilege in Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., et. al v. Donald C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy.
The plaintiffs made discovery requests for information identifying by latitude, longitude, time and date, duration, and name of exercise (if any) every non-combat use of mid-frequency active sonar by the Navy anywhere in the world.
For the rest of the story, go to http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=28431
Cordially,
Michael H. Standart
Equal Opportunity Curmudgeon
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Michael H. Standart
Moderator
Username: mstandart
Post Number: 16469
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Friday, January 4, 2008 - 5:00 am: |
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From Yahoo News:
Judge tells Navy to reduce sonar impact
quote:LOS ANGELES - A federal judge ordered the Navy on Thursday to adopt measures that would lessen the impact of sonar on whales and other marine life during exercises near Southern California.
The preliminary injunction issued Thursday requires the Navy to create a 12-nautical-mile no-sonar zone along the coast and have trained lookouts watch for marine mammals before and during exercises. Sonar should be shut down when mammals are spotted within 2,200 yards.
Full story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080104/ap_on_re_us/navy_sonar_whales
Cordially,
Michael H. Standart
Equal Opportunity Curmudgeon
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