[env-trinity] military exercises threaten marine life in Pacific NW

[Joshua Allen]

Here is more information about the Navy's proposed war games.

EPIC: http://www.wildcalifornia.org/blog/navywarfaretraining/

Navy Environmental documentation:
http://www.nwtrangecomplexeis.com/Documents.aspx

2010/12/23 Brian Hill <bhill at igc.org>

> from below;
>
>
> The Navy is all set to say that Mendocino County will not be impacted by
> Navy training.  However, the FEIS states that
> sonar and other warfare testing will be conducted by the Navy in all areas
> even during gray whale and fish migrations.
>
>
>
> *From:* Beth Robinson Bosk [mailto:nsi at mcn.org]
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> *From:* Rosalind Peterson <info at californiaskywatch.com>
>
> *To:* Susan Nutter <sanutter at mcn.org>
>
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 16, 2010 6:04 AM
>
> *Subject:* Additional Note from Rosalind December 16, 2010
>
>
>
> December 16, 2010
>
> Dear Susan:
>
> When people attend rallies they sometimes don't know what to ask the
> Navy...and also they haven't read the
> Navy Final Environmental Impact Statement, the Navy Record of Decision, and
> other documents.  When we prepared
> some optional questions for the Navy...we gave page numbers in the
> documents and direct quotes from letters written
> by our elected officials and other information with some background
> documentation.  This helped many to understand
> more clearly the issues during the rally and before the meeting.
>
> The group in Humboldt County made the rally educational as much as possible
> so that those who attended were not
> just protesting but were putting the Navy on the spot with their
> questions...thus, the media coverage was good and
> very pointed...the Navy tried to deny many items but the page numbers and
> documents spoke for themselves when
> those items were used as a basis for questions...others asked great
> questions as well.
>
> The Navy is all set to say that Mendocino County will not be impacted by
> Navy training.  However, the FEIS states that
> sonar and other warfare testing will be conducted by the Navy in all areas
> even during gray whale and fish migrations.
> This will have an impact in our area as the Navy Southern California and
> Hawaiian 5-Year warfare testing program has been
> ongoing for over a year in both places.  The Navy yesterday did not want to
> talk about those areas and kept making the
> statement that the NWTRC was not part of those warfare areas...even though
> the testing the will be conducted in the NWTRC
> is almost identical (per EIS documents), with those areas.
>
> The impacts from Southern California and Hawaii 5-Year warfare testing will
> be exacerbated by the addition of new weapons
> system testing in the NWTRC, use of sonar, bomb blasts, etc.  The Navy
> clearly did not want to talk about those other areas because
> it brings to public attention that we are not the only area with this type
> of ongoing military warfare exercises.   These and other
> questions pressed the Navy hard to find answers to our questions.
>
> And one questions that stumped them the most was about where they were
> going to dump the toxic chemicals and debris
> used in the NWTRC.  They didn't know the answer.  In addition, they could
> not identify any safe areas where chemicals could
> be released safely in the ocean even though they state clearly in their
> FEIS that some items were to be dumped overboard.
>
> When questioned the Navy also denied that any of the toxic chemicals listed
> and used in the NWTRC were hazardous and
> that they would have no effect on the environment or marine life.  One
> person read a list of chemicals at this point and the
> Navy reiterated that they were all safe...mercury, cadmium, lead, red
> phosphorus, etc.  Several people who called me last
> night said that the Navy appeared to be in denial most of the time.
>
> I just wanted to prepare you for this event ahead of time.  It would be
> good to press the Navy with our own information
> from their documents.  Also Congressman Thompson's letter of October 8,
> 2010, to the Navy is good to reference as well as
> Dr. Lubchenco's statement from the meeting here on December 9, 2010, in
> Ukiah.
>
> My mom is having a lot of difficulties which precludes me from making many
> trips.  However, if she seems better today
> and her friend will come and be with her while I am gone...I will be there.
>
> Just in case - good luck...thank you very much for all you do.  The video
> that you sent was great - and I sent it out everywhere
> as well...just to see the reaction...it was good.
>
> Just a note to let you know that our next actions in Northern California,
> Oregon, and Washington, will be to pressure
> Congressman Thompson and respective senators to have NOAA rescind their
> Permit and Letter of Authorization to the
> Navy until such time as the workshops/working groups are held in Northern
> California with regard to the use of sonar
> in our area and protecting our biologically sensitive areas.  They should
> be held here as soon as possible and we should
> bring that up here with our supervisors...also when I handed thousands of
> petitions to Dr. Lubchenco of NOAA I made
> sure to ask for NOAA to rescind their permit and have the workshops here
> ASAP.
>
> Humboldt County, Marin County, and Sonoma County residents will be making
> the same requests to their supervisors
> this week as well.   We are hoping that this can come up on the agenda with
> their next meetings...also we should continue
> to encourage Congressman Thompson and our senators to work for U.S. Senate
> Hearings.  We shall see.
>
>
>
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>
>


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