U.S. Supreme Court Closely Divided as to whether use of Sonar is Harmful to Marine Mammals

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ruled that the sonar used by the Navy almost certainly harms marine life. That decision was the outcome from a lawsuit initiated by environmental organizations who argued that the Navy should complete an environmental impact statement to assess the impact of its sonar on marine animals. The Bush administration appealed that decision to the Supreme Court and on Wednesday justices heard the case. Winter vs. Natural Resources Defense Council, No. 07-1239. http://www.supremecourtus.gov/docket/07-1239.htm Here's the brief of the respondent: http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/07-08/07-1239_PetitionerAmCuPLF.pdf And today's LA Times story: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus9-2008oct09,0,4368125.story In the early 2000s, there was local uproar about the Navy's use of sonar in the Monterey Bay and its impact on migrating grey whales. Here's a story from Monterey County Weekly: http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2003/2003-Apr-17/8966/1/@@index