Navy Applies for Hawaii LOA
On August 1, 2007, the National Marine Fisheries Service published notice of the US Navy's request for a Letter of Authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The requested LOA would authorize the Navy's incidental harassment of marine mammals resulting from Navy training operations conducted within the Navy's Hawaii Range Complex (HRC).

The Navy's LOA request states that Navy training events, which include anti-submarine warfare training, "may expose certain marine mammals that may be present within the HRC to sound from mid-frequency active tactical sonar or to pressure from underwater detonations."

Navy sonar operations at the HRC have been controversial in the past, and this LOA application will probably continue the controversy. Public comments on the LOA are due to NMFS by August 31, 2007.