This ruling underscores that no one, not even the United States military, is above the law,' said Joel Reynolds, a senior attorney at NRDC and director of its Marine Mammal Protection Project. 'We are pleased, but not surprised, by the court's emergency intervention.

Before filing, the plaintiffs had tried, unsuccessfully, to work with the Navy to develop a series of common sense protective measures for use during the exercise. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other organizations filed suit asking for the restraining order last Wednesday, saying that use of mid-frequency sonar during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2006 naval exercises posed an unnecessary and avoidable threat to marine mammals and violated two fundamental environmental laws: the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). law requiring steps to avoid harm to marine mammals.

The court's order comes three days after the Pentagon took the unprecedented step of declaring the Navy exempt from the U.S.

This type of sonar has been directly associated with repeated occurrences of mass strandings and deaths of whales, dolphins, and other marine species in U.S. Navy during sprawling international war games now taking place in waters around Hawaii.

District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper today issued a temporary restraining order blocking the use of high-intensity, mid-frequency sonar by the U.S. LOS ANGELES (July 3, 2006) - In an emphatic stroke for the rule of law, U.S. Judge Grants Restraining Order to Protect Marine Mammals, Other Species From Unnecessary Harm Caused by Deadly Sonar Near President's New National Monument

Navy suit for war meaning