Save the Whales
- by: Darlene Schanfald
- recipient: Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, Congressman Derek Kilmer
The U.S. Navy plans to build a new military base for seven large ships in a harbor of WA State's Strait of Juan de Fuca where endangered and threatened marine mammals and birds thrive. This area is federally protected for the endangered resident southern Orca whales.
But the Navy has an EXEMPTION to the Marine Mammal Protection Act that allows them to maim or kill these animals.
The Navy’s stated purpose is to ready personnel to escort submarines entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the Pacific Ocean – even though they have nearby bases which would serve this purpose and there is no military audit showing the need for this base.
Consider:
* Intense noise from 18 months of construction from driving 144 pier pilings that will displace 745 square feet of the seafloor, and the motor noise of seven ships can drive away the animals from their feeding and mating grounds forever.
• The base will destroy vast sections of eelgrass where countless animals live, hide and feed. The ships’ pier itself, covering some 25,465 square feet of ocean water surface, can damage eelgrass and sea life under it.
* Inevitable spills from fueling seven large vessels will have devastating consequences for the wildlife’s air, water, and sediment feeding areas.
According to the Navy, all this “will have no significant impact” and, hence, an environmental impact study (EIS) is unnecessary.
The Navy failed to address these long-term, cumulative harms, even though a federal court ruled they had to be addressed in Navy-affected areas off the coasts of Hawaii and California.
Construction is set to start the end of October – unless we can stop it. Now.
Please tell Washington State’s Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell and Congressman Derek Kilmer to oppose this project until the Navy at least completes a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS). An EIS is essential, due to the significant impacts of constructing the project and the impacts a permanent military base in these waters will have on marine life, air, water, sediments, humans, and land-based wildlife, as well as the loss of local recreational areas.
Sen. Patty Murray 154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme
Sen. Maria Cantwell 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form
Rep. Derek Kilmer 1520 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC
20515 http://kilmer.house.gov/contact/email-me
Navy EA details: http://www.navfac.navy.mil/navfac_worldwide/atlantic/fecs/northwest/about_us/northwest_documents/nw__national_environmental_policy_act_nepa_documents.html Rght column, Completed EAs
Sign PetitionSign PetitionBut the Navy has an EXEMPTION to the Marine Mammal Protection Act that allows them to maim or kill these animals.
The Navy’s stated purpose is to ready personnel to escort submarines entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the Pacific Ocean – even though they have nearby bases which would serve this purpose and there is no military audit showing the need for this base.
Consider:
* Intense noise from 18 months of construction from driving 144 pier pilings that will displace 745 square feet of the seafloor, and the motor noise of seven ships can drive away the animals from their feeding and mating grounds forever.
• The base will destroy vast sections of eelgrass where countless animals live, hide and feed. The ships’ pier itself, covering some 25,465 square feet of ocean water surface, can damage eelgrass and sea life under it.
* Inevitable spills from fueling seven large vessels will have devastating consequences for the wildlife’s air, water, and sediment feeding areas.
According to the Navy, all this “will have no significant impact” and, hence, an environmental impact study (EIS) is unnecessary.
The Navy failed to address these long-term, cumulative harms, even though a federal court ruled they had to be addressed in Navy-affected areas off the coasts of Hawaii and California.
Construction is set to start the end of October – unless we can stop it. Now.
Please tell Washington State’s Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell and Congressman Derek Kilmer to oppose this project until the Navy at least completes a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS). An EIS is essential, due to the significant impacts of constructing the project and the impacts a permanent military base in these waters will have on marine life, air, water, sediments, humans, and land-based wildlife, as well as the loss of local recreational areas.
Sen. Patty Murray 154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme
Sen. Maria Cantwell 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form
Rep. Derek Kilmer 1520 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington, DC
20515 http://kilmer.house.gov/contact/email-me
Navy EA details: http://www.navfac.navy.mil/navfac_worldwide/atlantic/fecs/northwest/about_us/northwest_documents/nw__national_environmental_policy_act_nepa_documents.html Rght column, Completed EAs
See more petitions:
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.