Monday, February 27, 2006

NOAA Comments on Proposed NC Sonar Range

It took an entire week for almost two dozen Navy officials to sort through the 40,000 pages of public comments they received on their controversial plan to build a sonar training range off the North Carolina coast. We would like to thank our visitors who were able to send their comments and the Ocracoke Preservation Society and Big Block Blue Marlin Tournament for also chipping in. One of the most surprising and encouraging comments received was from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. NOAA found serious fault with the Navy's downplaying of potential harm to the extremely endangered right whale and other marine mammals. NOAA also disapproved of the Navy's use of trained mammals for their research and the 190 decibel volume threshold of sonar activity. The Navy's exhaustive research set the 190 decibel level because one of two tame dolphins altered their behavior at that volume. One of two? We can't afford to let this story drop off the proverbial radar so be sure to let your state representatives know you oppose the Navy's plans. For more on this story is available in a great article by Kate Wiltrout of the The Virginian-Pilot.

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