LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Monday temporarily barred the Navy from using a high-intensity sonar that could harm marine mammals during war games that began last week in the Pacific Ocean.
The temporary restraining order, sought by environmentalists, came three days after the Defense Department granted the Navy a six-month exemption from certain federal laws protecting marine species to allow use of the "mid-frequency active sonar."
Environmentalists argued that the exemption was aimed at circumventing a lawsuit they filed last week to stop the Navy's use of the sonar in the Rim of the Pacific 2006 exercise off Hawaii. The use of sonar in the war games was set to start Thursday.
In her order, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper wrote that the environmentalists "have shown a possibility that RIMPAC 2006 will kill, injure, and disturb many marine species, including marine mammals, in waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands."
Right. Because it's not at all important that the sailors manning our carriers and battleships know how to use their sonar equipment. I mean, it's just national security.
/sarcasm