DeclinetoState
02-19-2008, 06:31 PM
by Phyllis Schlafly
Two separate federal courts, one (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080206a.asp) in San Francisco and the other (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080204b.asp) in Los Angeles, just ordered the United States Navy to limit its use of sonar, the underwater radar essential for tracking enemy submarines and detecting the ocean floor. These rulings tie the hands of our Navy and are the latest outrage committed by judicial supremacists.
The lawsuits were brought by environmental groups on behalf of whales and other sea creatures, using the claim that their ears and brains might be damaged by the sonar. The court rulings allow environmentalism to trump what the Navy needs to do to protect our national interest.
These February rulings followed an anti-military ruling last November by the Ninth Circuit, which invited injunctions against the Navy to restrict its use of sonar. In NRDC v. Winter (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2007/071113.asp), the Ninth Circuit held that an "injunction would be appropriate" against the Navy to restrict its use of sonar.
The Navy says it already minimizes risks to marine life and has used sonar for decades without seeing any injuries to whales. The Navy has even said it will shut off the sonar when whales are spotted, but the judge said that's not good enough because visual monitoring might miss some dolphins and other small animals.
More (http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2008/feb08/08-02-20.html)
Two separate federal courts, one (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080206a.asp) in San Francisco and the other (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080204b.asp) in Los Angeles, just ordered the United States Navy to limit its use of sonar, the underwater radar essential for tracking enemy submarines and detecting the ocean floor. These rulings tie the hands of our Navy and are the latest outrage committed by judicial supremacists.
The lawsuits were brought by environmental groups on behalf of whales and other sea creatures, using the claim that their ears and brains might be damaged by the sonar. The court rulings allow environmentalism to trump what the Navy needs to do to protect our national interest.
These February rulings followed an anti-military ruling last November by the Ninth Circuit, which invited injunctions against the Navy to restrict its use of sonar. In NRDC v. Winter (http://www.nrdc.org/media/2007/071113.asp), the Ninth Circuit held that an "injunction would be appropriate" against the Navy to restrict its use of sonar.
The Navy says it already minimizes risks to marine life and has used sonar for decades without seeing any injuries to whales. The Navy has even said it will shut off the sonar when whales are spotted, but the judge said that's not good enough because visual monitoring might miss some dolphins and other small animals.
More (http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2008/feb08/08-02-20.html)