High Court Hears Navy Sonar Case

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments that pitted the Navy against environmental activists over the use of mid-frequency sonar during training exercises. The Navy needs to conduct the training in order to protect strike groups deployed around the world, U.S. Solicitor General Gregory G. Garre told the justices during the Oct. 8 argument. Lawyers for the National Resources Defense Council, a non-profit environmental activist group, countered that the training unnecessarily kills or injures thousands of whales, dolphins, and other marine life each time the sonars are deployed. The case stems from a California successful federal lawsuit by the group, which stopped the training until President Bush granted the Navy an exemption. The justices will issue a ruling sometime next year.