Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
February 16, 2008 By Matthew Jones, Virginian-Pilot
The Navy has announced a series of public hearings on the draft environmental impact statement for its Atlantic Fleet sonar training.
The Navy's use of sonar has became a concern to many environmentalists, who worry about its effect on whales and other marine mammals.
The first will be in Virginia Beach at Tidewater Community College's Advanced Technology Center on March 4.
Other hearings will be held at cities along the Eastern seaboard from Jacksonville, Fla., to Boston.
Each session will feature an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. and a public hearing from 7 to 9 p.m.
Speakers are limited to three minutes. People may also submit written comments to the Navy via mail or fax.
The purpose of the draft environmental impact statement is to evaluate the potential effects of using mid- and high-frequency active sonar and improved extended echo ranging systems during training in the Navy's current operating areas along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.
The draft statement offers four options:
*Designate fixed, active, year-round sonar areas that would minimize environmental effects while still meeting operational requirements.
*Designate fixed areas, as above, but use them seasonally.
*Designate "areas of increased awareness" via the environmental analysis used for the first two alternatives and refrain from using active sonar within these areas.
*Continue with the present procedure, meaning the Navy would proceed with active sonar testing within its present operating areas, without designating special areas to either avoid or work within.
This is the Navy's preferred option.
February 16, 2008 By Matthew Jones, Virginian-Pilot
The Navy has announced a series of public hearings on the draft environmental impact statement for its Atlantic Fleet sonar training.
The Navy's use of sonar has became a concern to many environmentalists, who worry about its effect on whales and other marine mammals.
The first will be in Virginia Beach at Tidewater Community College's Advanced Technology Center on March 4.
Other hearings will be held at cities along the Eastern seaboard from Jacksonville, Fla., to Boston.
Each session will feature an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. and a public hearing from 7 to 9 p.m.
Speakers are limited to three minutes. People may also submit written comments to the Navy via mail or fax.
The purpose of the draft environmental impact statement is to evaluate the potential effects of using mid- and high-frequency active sonar and improved extended echo ranging systems during training in the Navy's current operating areas along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.
The draft statement offers four options:
*Designate fixed, active, year-round sonar areas that would minimize environmental effects while still meeting operational requirements.
*Designate fixed areas, as above, but use them seasonally.
*Designate "areas of increased awareness" via the environmental analysis used for the first two alternatives and refrain from using active sonar within these areas.
*Continue with the present procedure, meaning the Navy would proceed with active sonar testing within its present operating areas, without designating special areas to either avoid or work within.
This is the Navy's preferred option.