The US Supreme Court has ruled that national security trumps environmental law, at least in the case of whales and sonar. Following the decision, the Navy no longer has to stop sonar training exercises off the southern California coast if whales, dolphins and other marine mammals are spotted nearby.
In a 5–4 ruling released on 12 November, the court rejected arguments that the restrictions were necessary to protect the animals from becoming harmed or disoriented by the sonar. The concerns are "plainly outweighed by the Navy's need to conduct realistic training exercises to ensure that it is able to neutralize the threat posed by enemy submarines," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority opinion in Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council.
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US court allows sonar exercises to continue. Nature 456, 293 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/456293b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/456293b
