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Alert!</title></head><body>
<div>Navy Mid-Frequency Active (MFA) Sonar Action Alert!<br>
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<div> <br>
</div>
<div><b>The Navy has released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) for its Atlantic Fleet Active Sonar Training (AFAST). Public
comments are needed!</b><br>
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<div><b> </b><br>
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<div>AFAST activities will be conducted from the<b> Gulf of Maine</b>
down along the East Coast and into the Gulf of Mexico<b>.</b> Navy
ships, submarines, and aircraft deploy high-intensity MFA sonar and
other intense acoustic devices for antisubmarine warfare and mine
warfare training.<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div>Naval high-intensity MFA sonars have now been implicated in the
mass strandings and deaths of whales, dolphins and porpoises in
numerous incidents around the world stretching back for five decades.
There is also compelling evidence indicating that marine mammals are
not the sonar's only victims. The increasing usage of sonar, along
with other human generated ocean noise such as shipping, and oil
exploration and development, has drastically raised noise levels in
the oceans, where many fish and other marine species rely on sound and
hearing ability for survival. Yet the Navy proposes to continue its
sound blasting without offering any meaningful protective measures for
life in the oceans.<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div>Many of you may have heard news of the ongoing court battles
being waged over similar Navy exercises off the southern California
coast and Hawaii. The Navy may not be particularly interested in the
public's concerns about this issue, but the courts have been,<br>
</div>
<div>and it has been an important factor in the successes of these
lawsuits.<br>
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<div><b> </b><br>
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<div><u>Comments need not be long or technical. Please, take 5, 10, or
15 minutes to state your concerns and submit them as written comments.
The environmental damage of AFAST will likely only be brought under
control through a lawsuit, and the courts need to see the public's
concern and outrage at this madness</u>.<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div>The Navy AFAST DEIS can be seen here;<font color="#0000FF"><u>
http://afasteis.gcsaic.com/index.aspx</u></font><br>
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<div> <br>
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<div>You can submit comments online at this website, or by mail or
fax;<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div>Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division<br>
</div>
<div>Attention: Code EV22 (Atlantic Fleet Sonar Project Manager)<br>
</div>
<div>6506 Hampton Blvd.<br>
</div>
<div>Norfolk, VA 23508-1278<br>
</div>
<div>Fax: (888) 875-6781<br>
</div>
<div> <br>
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<div><u>The deadline for public comments is March 31, 2008. Please
write soon!</u><br>
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<div><br></div>
<div> <br>
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<div><u>A Few Points to Keep in Mind:</u><br>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>
<div
>n <span
></span> MFA sonar has been
closely linked with numerous mass-stranding events around the
globe.<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div
>n <span
></span> The DEIS noise thresholds
for temporary threshold shift (temporary hearing loss) and for
physical injury are far, far too high. In the real world, marine
animals will experience these effects at much lower noise levels, and
in far greater numbers than estimated by the DEIS. These thresholds
have been based on flawed assumptions.<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div
>n <span
></span> The DEIS concludes that
Navy mitigation measures will protect marine mammals during AFAST
activities. But this conclusion, like others throughout the DEIS, is
based on flawed assumptions. These measures depend entirely on
visually spotting marine mammals (and sea turtles). However, many of
these animals can remain submerged for extended durations, some for
well over an hour. Some species are notoriously hard to detect at the
surface even under the best observation conditions. And because AFAST
exercises will be occurring during varying sea and weather conditions
both day and night, the Navy's mitigation measures are absolutely
ineffective. Similar measures used by the Navy in its sonar
exercises off California have been described by a federal judge
ruling on these exercises as being "woefully inadequate and
ineffectual."<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div
>n <span
></span> The critically endangered
North Atlantic right whale will be pushed even closer to the
brink of extinction by AFAST, as some of these exercises will be
taking place in and near their breeding, feeding and calving grounds,
and along their migratory route. Other endangered species likely
to be impacted are humpback, sei, fin, blue, and sperm whales,
manatees, and sea turtles.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div> <br>
</div>
<div
>n <span
></span> There is growing evidence
that naval sonars and other sources of intense underwater noise are
harming fish, and therefore threaten fisheries.<br>
</div>
<div> <br>
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<div
>n <span
></span> A growing number of
governmental and scientific bodies have expressed concern over the
environmental impacts of naval active sonars and other sources of
intense underwater noise. Some of these are the Scientific Committee
of the International Whaling Commission, the United Nations Law of the
Sea deliberations, the European Union Parliament, and the IUCN-World
Conservation Union.<br>
</div>
<div> <br>
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<div
>n <span
></span> The Navy needs to wake up
to the fact that environmental destruction also affects our national
security, and the security of all life on the planet.<br>
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<div> <br>
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<div><b>Thank You for Writing!</b><br>
</div>
<div><b> </b><br>
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<div>For more information, contact Russell Wray of Citizens Opposing
Active Sonar Threats (COAST) at 207-422-8273 or:<font
color="#0000FF"><u> 7coast@adelphia.net</u></font><br>
</div>
<div> </div>
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<div>The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine<br>
170 Park Street<br>
Bangor ME 04401<br>
(207) 942-9343<br>
fax 992-2288<br>
email: info@peacectr.org<br>
check our website:
<http://www.peacectr.org/>www.peacectr.org</div>
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