I've updated this diary because of the time change and to give new readers a chance to catch up on what's happening. Thanks, CVS.
Thanks to U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson, northern California residents will have the opportunity to confront both NOAA and the U.S. Navy about Navy plans to increase and expand weapons testing in Pacific Northwest waters.
Dr. Jane Lubchenco, head of NOAA, will address the Mendocino Board of Supervisors meeting in Ukiah on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 1-3 P.M.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAMBERS, 501 LOW GAP ROAD, UKIAH, CA 95482
The agenda allows for "Presentations by representatives of various constituencies" and "Written questions from audience." Those planning to attend should therefore prepare written questions in advance.
The U.S. Navy will attend public meetings on Wednesday, December 15 from 5-7 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka, and on Thursday, December 16, from 5-7 p.m. at Pentecost Hall, Fort Bragg, on issues of concern regarding the Northwest Training Range Complex. "Navy experts will be available to answer questions."
At issue is the Navy's Record of Decision on expanding weapons training and testing off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and California. On November 10, NOAA issued its approval of the Navy's plan, authorizing the Navy's "taking" -- i.e., effects ranging from death to harassment -- of millions of marine mammals in its exercises. With no examination whatsoever, NOAA has also approved the use of any and all unidentified new weapons systems – including powerful new sonars – the Navy wishes to try out in the future.
Damage to ear drums and hearing is considered by the Navy and NOAA to have negligible impacts on marine mammals. Scientists are already finding that significant numbers of beached dolphins suffer profound hearing loss, likely due to increased ocean noise, especially sonar. As the scientists point out, in marine species dependent almost exclusively on hearing to navigate, locate food, and find each other, deafness is a sentence of death – a prolonged, terrifying death at that.
But since deafened animals don't float belly-up in the immediate aftermath of a Navy sonar exercise or experiment, their deaths are dismissed as simple harassment.
What impacts the Navy's bombs and sonar have on fish is largely unstudied, and therefore also dismissed. Given scientific evidence that "Earth has run out of fisheries," allowing the Navy carte blanche to kill or damage migrating and resident fish in our seriously depleted, dwindling fisheries is profound folly.
In further insult to both marine life and public opinion, the Navy refuses to avoid or limit activities in or near marine reserves, sanctuaries, biologically sensitive areas, and migration routes of whales or salmon, thus ensuring that no fish or other critter can evade its explosions and sonar.
Ironically, until her appointment to head NOAA, Dr. Lubchenco was celebrated in Oregon for her tireless championing of marine reserves. Suddenly she has no problem with the Navy destroying those reserves with any weapons at its disposal. Thus does power not only corrupt but totally extinguish science and integrity.
Because NOAA is a participating agency in the Navy's plans, NOAA's authorization is like putting bagmen on a con man's jury. In response to pleas from thousands of citizens asking Congress to stop the Navy's insane plans and investigate both NOAA's and the Navy's conduct, Congressman Thompson is the sole legislator brave enough to challenge both NOAA and the Navy to face the public and answer to their behavior.
California residents should attend the NOAA and Navy meetings if possible, and applaud Congressman Thompson's lonely efforts to represent a distressed constituency. Oregon and Washington residents, alas, have no such champion, a shameful reflection on their congressional delegations.
Absent congressional intervention, the U.S. Navy with NOAA's approval is now free to use our oceans and coastal waters as testing grounds for bombs, guns, electromagnetic weapons, powerful sonars, unmanned drone aircraft, and any new, unidentified weapons it wants to play with.
Mike Thompson's office has published this press release on the event. If this does not seem a sensible way to spend vast amounts of taxpayers' and foreign creditors' money, make your voice heard.
Here's the U.S. Navy Final Environmental Impact Statement & Rule of Decision (ROD)
This is the NOAA Permit for the "taking" of marine mammals in the NWTRC & their Letter of Authorization dated November 10, 2010