News

On September 12, the Navy released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for general sonar use and training in the Cherry Point Operating Area off North Carolina’s coast.  This draft EIS is available at http://www.navycherrypointrangecomplexeis.com/EIS.aspx.  The Navy’s documentation shows that even if USWTR is moved to the Florida coast, North Carolina will still bear much of the brunt of the Navy’s sonar training, with many hundreds of hours of sonar use proposed for the Navy’s operating areas in North Carolina’s coastal waters.  According to the Navy’s own analysis, marine mammals would be significantly impacted by sonar as much as 400,000 times each year off North Carolina’s coast.  Nonetheless, the Navy refused to adopt mitigation measures that would help protect these and other marine animals.

In light of the Navy’s failures and the real harm sonar poses to marine mammals and fish populations, please urge the Navy to withdraw its draft EIS and undertake a better analysis of sonar’s impact on the marine environment and the people who depend on it.