A federal judge on Monday ordered the US Navy and ships from seven other countries to keep their high-intensity sonar transmitters quiet during exercises off Kauai. Two AP reporters filed on it, Eric Berkowitz on July 3 from LA where the judge issued the order, and Audrey McAvoy a day later from Honolulu. Local dailies and the Washington Post also covered it. Two years ago when Navy ships used active sonar in the same waters 150 melon-headed whales got confused near Hanalei (see pic). Some stranded themselves before locals shooed them back to deep water. The scientific issue is whether the sonar caused the whales’ distress. Legally, it appears to be whether the Navy can ignore the National Environmental Policy Act. The Navy, given a green light to do so by recent Congressional vote, had granted itself an exemption prior to the exercise. The judge says to cool it for ten days while things are sorted out. The exercises will go ahead by using “passive sonar” that uses no high-energy pulses. Organizations whose suit triggered the order include the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Cetacean Society International. For a highly localized story, see Charlotte Woolard’s in The Lihui Garden Island on Kauai.

Stories:

AP Audrey McAvoy; AP Eric Berkowitz; Seattle Press-Intelligencer Robert McClure; Washington Post Marc Kaufman; The Garden Island Charlotte Woolard; Honolulu Advertiser Jan TenBruggenate;

Grist for the Mill: NRDC Press Release;

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