Sunday, January 22, 2006

Sonar References Deleted From NC Whale Beaching Report

Last year a group of 37 whales beached themselves on the North Carolina coast near Oregon Inlet and government officials have been investigating potential causes. A recent court order that required investigating officials to release their documentation has revealed that a lead investigator changed her draft report to eliminate all references to the possibility that naval sonar may have played a role in the beaching. We've reported on the potential problems the Navy's high-intensity sonar training range on the NC coast might cause and North Carolina officials have not been swayed by any of the Navy's arguments to date regarding potential environmental problems. Last spring a preliminary report cited sonar as of the most plausible causes of the whales beaching themselves and even autopsy results were reminiscent of whales who beached themselves in the Bahamas because of sonar activity. It seems downright shady that sonar references have been deleted from this report, especially in light of the Navy's inability to sell the idea to both the public and North Carolina officials. In the end, it's the Navy's choice alone on whether or not North Carolina will host the training range; it does not require any NC vote for approval. Visit MSNBC for more on this story and be sure to let your state representatives know how much the idea of an experimental sonar training range just off our coast concerns you.

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