Supreme Court rules for Navy in dispute over sonar, whales

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted restrictions on the Navy's use of sonar in training exercises off the California coast, a defeat for environmental groups who say the sonar can harm whales.

The court, in its first decision of the term, voted 5-4 that the Navy needs to conduct realistic training exercises to respond to potential threats by enemy submarines.

Environmental groups had persuaded lower federal courts in California to impose restrictions on sonar use in submarine-hunting exercises to protect whales and other marine mammals.

The Bush administration argued that there is little evidence of harm to marine life in more than 40 years of exercises off the California coast.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, which was joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/12/AR2008111201058.html

The U.S. Supreme W. Court has sided with the chimp administration again?

What a surprise! :mad:

need to have their heads submerged and experience the rupturing of their fucking skulls from sonar blasts.
Orcas and dolphins have disappeared here in Washington at alarming rates. Struggling salmon populations, harassment by whale watching boats have contributed, no doubt. But when their sensitive brains are being blasted by sonar, there is no where for them to go and escape. There is evidence they will beach themselves out of desperation.
Thanks, all you spineless Democrats for allowing these bastards to sit on the bench.
To all the marine mammals..I am so, so sorry.
:cry:

:mad:

God bless Ginsberg and Souter. May Obama have the chance to replace the Bush Nazi appointees.



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/12/supremecourt/main4595290.shtml

The overall public interest tips "strongly in favor of the Navy," Roberts wrote. He said the most serious possible injury would be harm to an unknown number of the marine mammals.

"In contrast, forcing the Navy to deploy an inadequately trained anti-submarine force jeopardizes the safety of the fleet," the chief justice wrote.

In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that the Navy's own assessment predicted substantial and irreparable harm to marine mammals from the exercises. She said that "this likely harm ... cannot be lightly dismissed, even in the face of an alleged risk to the effectiveness of the Navy's 14 training exercises." Justice David Souter joined in Ginsburg's dissent.