Whales Win One

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper struck down the waiver issued by the White House that would have exempted the U.S. Navy from obeying a environmental law relating to sonar use and whales.

Last month, the same judge ordered the Navy to use safeguards during the sonar maneuvers in order to protect marine mammals from needless injury and death. After that ruling, President Bush issued his emergency waiver in an attempt to override the court order.

In last night's ruling, Judge Cooper called the Navy's so-called emergency "a creature of its own making," and reaffirmed that the military can train effectively without needlessly harming whales.

For more information on this issue, please see Good and Bad News for Whales. Or listen to NPR Morning Edition (February 5, 2008).

Tags: whales, navy, bush, waiver, judge florence-marie cooper