Legal Battle Over Navy Sonar Continues

Two summers ago more than 150 disoriented melon-headed whales stranded themselves in Hanalei Bay while the U.S. Navy and its allies used sonar in a nearby war game. An April report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the sound waves may have prompted the deep-water whales to seek refuge in the Bay. This year's Rim of the Pacific exercise is underway, and the use of mid-frequency sonar in the war games was scheduled to begin today, but a federal judge blocked the Navy from using it. The legal action had been requested by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has been waging a legal battle against the Navy over sonar use for some time. Guest host Ted Chen talks with LA Times San Diego Bureau Chief Tony Perry and NRDC senior attorney Andrew Wetzler.