As we have reported before, the U.S. Navy has been conducting mid-frequency sonar tests that flood vast areas of the ocean with deafening noise, making them extremely harmful - even lethal - to whales. Since the Navy began conducting sonar experiments in 2000, dozens of whales have fatally or near-fatally stranded themselves on beaches in the U.S., the Bahamas, the Canary Islands and Japan. Overwhelming evidence indicates that the Navy's sonar activities are to blame. Despite these dangers, the Navy is seeking approval of a training program, which includes the use of powerful explosives and sonar devices, to begin in February 2007 off of California's southern coastline.

Last week, the California Coastal Commission, which is responsible for independently assessing the environmental impact of proposed activities along the California coast, held a public meeting in San Francisco to discuss the issue. At this meeting, IDA representatives joined marine scientists, attorneys, and individuals from the National Resource Defense Council, Earth Island Institute, Seaflow, and StopLFAS in giving public testimony before the Commission not to approve the training exercises until the Navy provided sufficient information to ensure that their activities will not harm marine mammals and other sea life. The Commission also received 2,900 emails from concerned citizens, some of which were generated by responses to IDA's Bay Area Alert. As a result, the Commission unanimously voted to postpone their decision until next month, when they will hold another meeting in Long Beach to revisit the Navy's plans.

As of now, the Navy has failed to explain how it will protect migrating gray whales and other marine life along California's coast, how it will conduct exercises at night or in other conditions of low visibility, or whether it will enforce robust "safety zones" around sonar vessels to avoid exposing whales to dangerous sound. The Coastal Commission has required these and other protective measures of the Navy and other noise-producers in the past, and it should demand no less now.

- "Take Action" NOW to urge the California Coastal Commission to require strong mitigation measures and a new impacts assessment from the Navy to protect whales and other marine life from dangerous sonar testing. Please also thank Commissioner Sara Wan and the rest of the Commission for their action in December. Also send a letter or personal email to:

Mark Delaplaine
California Coastal Commission
45 Fremont Street
Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105-2219
Email: mdelaplaine@coastal.ca.gov

- If you live near Long Beach, attend the California Coastal Commission's meeting for further consideration of the Navy's request for approval of their training exercises.

What: California Coastal Commission meeting to discuss Navy training exercises
When: January 10th, 2007 (the hearing begins at 10:00 a.m., and this issue is item 10b on the schedule, so it will probably be discussed in the late morning or early afternoon)
Where: The Hyatt Regency Long Beach, 200 S. Pine Avenue, Long Beach, Calif.

For more information, contact Melissa Gonzalez at (415) 388-9641, ext. 228 or melissa@idausa.org.