US Navy Plans to
Increase its use of Active Sonar
The US Navy has issued two Environmental
Impact Statements relating to the increased use of its active sonar in
the space of a month.
Warfare Training Range
On October 28, 2005 the Navy issued its
Draft Overseas Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact
Statement (OEIS/EIS) for the construction and operation of an undersea
undersea warfare training range off the East Coast of the US.
The range
would cover 500 square
miles and would be outfitted with about 300 underwater microphones.
The stated purpose of the range is to train US navy personnel on the
use of active sonar to find, track and pursue submarines in the
littoral (or shallow) zone. Exercises on the range would take
place up to 161 times a year. Three potential locations are
addressed in the OEIS/EIS. The Navy's preferred option is an
area off the coast of central North Carolina. The second and
third preferences are near Wallops Island, Virginia and the coast of
Jacksonville, Florida.
The Navy envisions four scenarios for
the range, the most extensive of which would involve two surface
ships, two helicopters and a submarine. The exercises are
planned to last for six hours. Most exercises would not use live
weapons; but once a year, each ship would be permitted to fire one
anti-submarine rocket at a simulated target. The OEIS/EIS
discusses the potential impacts to the marine and land environment
from construction and use of the range and the mitigation measures
that the Navy thinks will reduce those impacts.
AWI attended two public meetings on
the OEIS/EIS and asked for an extension to the comment period due to
end December 28, 2005, and which has now been extended to January 30,
2006.
AWI's legislative division has issued an
action eAlert
to constituents living on the East Coast of the United States urging
them to comment on the OEIS/EIS and also to contact their State
Governors and Members of Congress.
To view a copy of the AWI Letter of
Extension to the comment period click here.
To view the complete OEIS/EIS
click here.
LFA Sonar to Ring Out throughout the
World's Oceans
On November 16, 2005 the Navy issued its
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on its planned use
of SURTASS LFA or Low Frequency Active sonar throughout the oceans of the
world. The Navy's use of LFA was curtailed through a ruling in
a lawsuit in 2003 to a specific region of the Pacific Ocean.
The
proposed action as stated in the SEIS will double the number of
platforms that will use the SURTASS LFA sonar systems and will widen
the geographical area of use to whole ocean systems including the Pacific,
Atlantic, and Indian oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
To view a copy of the AWI Letter of
Extension to the comment period
click here.
The public comment period has been extended to February 10, 2006.
To view the complete SEIS
click here.
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