Public Hearing:  Sunday, October 6, 6:00pm

Sheraton North Charleston, Convention Center, 4770 Goer Drive

The Public Hearing will address the Navy Undersea Warfare Training Range revised draft environmental impact statement. 

This is a peace issue as well as an environmental habitat issue!

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, there is scientific evidence that indicates that active sonar disrupts whales significantly, often causing them to beach themselves and/or leave their normal habitats (Protecting Whales from Dangerous Sonar). The NRDC's position is that there are ways for the Navy to use sonar and train personnel that do not disturb ocean habitat, or at least minimize disturbances.  One way is to locate Training Ranges well away from important whale habitats.  Unfortunately, one of the sites (near Jacksonville, FL) being proposed at this time is near an important calving area for whales.

Please attend the hearing to find out more about the different sites being proposed and the draft environmental impact statement.  We should be ready to voice our opinions on whether this range should be allowed in any of the sites proposed by the Navy (one of which is near Charleston).  As residents of the Charleston area, we can all speak to the abundant population of dolphins here that might also be disrupted. 

Please check out Bo Peterson's article, "Whales could face sonar threat ," at the Post and Courier.  You can see by the comments at the end of the article that this issue also speaks to the values of peace making versus war making.