WASHINGTON — The White House has exempted the Navy from complying with two major environmental laws in an effort to free the service from a federal court’s decision limiting the Navy’s use of sonar in training exercises.
Environmentalists who had sued successfully to limit the Navy’s use of loud, mid- frequency sonar — which can be harmful to whales and other marine mammals — said Wednesday that the exemptions were unprecedented and could lead to a larger legal battle over the extent to which the military has to obey environmental laws.
In a court filing Tuesday, government attorneys said President Bush had determined that allowing the use of mid-frequency sonar in ongoing exercises off Southern California was “essential to national security” and of “paramount interest to the United States.”
Joel Reynolds, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the organization would “vigorously” contest the exemptions in court.
