Environment Hawaii

Volume 19, No. 4 -- October 2008

Navy’s Sonar Exercises at Heart of Case Set for Honolulu Hearing

In early February 2007, the U.S. Navy announced it had prepared an environmental assessment for a two-year series of 12 undersea warfare exercises in waters around Hawai`i. The notice of the EA was accompanied by a finding that the exercises, involving the use of high-intensity mid-frequency active sonar, would have no significant impact on the environment.

That notice, published in the Federal Register of February 2, 2007, shed public light for the first time on the Navy’s planned exercises. Although the Navy has to follow the National Environmental Policy Act when it comes to disclosure of environmental impacts of its activities, and the act requires that the public be included in the process before a finding of no significant impact can be made, no such opportunity had been provided in advance of the Federal Register notice.

-- Patricia Tummons

To read the full article click here.

Article Keywords

environment hawaii u.s. navy sonar whales cuvier's beaked whale undersea exercises submarine warfare national environmental policy act national marine fisheries service NEPA NMFS RIMPAC incidental take harassment paul achitoff koa kaulukukui judge david ezra luther hajek jay govindan marine mammal protection act endangered species act coastal zone management act MMPA CZMA



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	*Volume 19, No. 4 -- October 2008* Navy’s Sonar Exercises at Heart of Case Set for Honolulu Hearing In early February 2007, the U.S. Navy announced it had prepared an environmental assessment for a two-year series of 12 undersea warfare exercises in waters around Hawai`i. The notice of the EA was accompanied by a finding that the exercises, involving the use of high-intensity mid-frequency active sonar, would have no significant impact on the environment. That notice, published in the Federal Register of February 2, 2007, shed public light for the first time on the Navy’s planned exercises. Although the Navy has to follow the National Environmental Policy Act when it comes to disclosure of environmental impacts of its activities, and the act requires that the public be included in the process before a finding of no significant impact can be made, no such opportunity had been provided in advance of the Federal Register notice. -- Patricia Tummons To read the full article click here. Article Keywords environment hawaii u.s. navy sonar whales cuvier's beaked whale undersea exercises submarine warfare national environmental policy act national marine fisheries service NEPA NMFS RIMPAC incidental take harassment paul achitoff koa kaulukukui judge david ezra luther hajek jay govindan marine mammal protection act endangered species act coastal zone management act MMPA CZMA
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