The California Coastal Commision (CCC) is suing the U.S. Navy, pitting states rights against national security interests. The Navy contends that it is exempt from state environmental laws because it is pursuing the higher priority of national security. The CCC says: not so fast.

http://www.latimes.com/...

The California Coastal Commission today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Navy for rejecting its recommendations for additional safeguards to protect whales and other marine mammals from high-power sonar used by ships in training exercises planned for Southern California waters.

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The issue has surfaced because of increasing scientific evidence linking the powerful sonar to panicked behavior and even mass die-offs of whales and dolphins in the Bahamas, the Canary Islands and elsewhere after naval exercises.