[Occupymendocino] Public Speak-Out regarding Navy testing June 4 6-8 pm

[Richard Karch]

Public Speak-Out regarding Navy testing
Tuesday June 4th, Matheson Theatre, Mendocino, 6-8pm
Address of theatre: 45096 Cahto St, Mendocino, CA 95460

Please come learn about the Navy's proposal to expand their testing of weapons and sonar into our local ocean, and come share what you know about the topic at an open mic.  
June 12th is the deadline to submit an official comment on the Navy's website, and laptops will be available at the meeting to write your comments.  We will also strategize what else we can do as a community, in addition to making these important comments online.

The Navy is going through the legal process of writing an Environmental Impact Statement where they have described the environmental harms their actions will cause and they are required by law to address all substantive comments submitted by the general public.  Sometimes these comments lead the Navy to be required to do additional studies.  The Navy has been sued in the past for misleading the public in similar reports, where they vastly underestimated the damage caused to marine life, including whales.  

Put simply: The sonar they use bursts and/or leads to burst eardrums, and the underwater mines and missiles they explode are live ammunition- full of toxins.  Neither of these NEED to be tested close to shore, and particularly not in our local Mendocino ocean where the marine life congregates to celebrate and feed on a great upwelling of nutrients and the entire food web that supports.  We are surrounded by Marine Protected Areas due to our biological diversity, yet similar circumstances in Washington State have not stopped the Navy from expanding their training exercises there. 

This resistance to Navy testing is again being led by the indigenous people of Mendocino County, please read their attached public comment and join them in speaking for the marine animals.  Below are a few websites to read about the negative impacts our local marine life will be facing and attached are some public comments that have already been submitted by knowledgeable local people who see great purpose in speaking for the marine life.  

This first link is the location to submit public comments, and it has the Navy Environmental Impact Statement so you can explore the official Navy report. Notice that what is up for review right now is front and center: a 2019 addition to the earlier reports in 2015 and 2016; you can see the older reports in links on the right hand side. 
**The link/button to make a comment is on the lower right, you have to scroll down a little bit to see it.**
**Then on the next page you have to scroll down again and click again on the button on the lower right.**
https://www.nwtteis.com/Documents/2019-Northwest-Training-and-Testing-Supplemental-EIS-OEIS-Documents/Draft-Supplemental-EIS-OEIS <https://www.nwtteis.com/Documents/2019-Northwest-Training-and-Testing-Supplemental-EIS-OEIS-Documents/Draft-Supplemental-EIS-OEIS>


There are countless websites you can use to research the effects of sonar and weapons on wildlife, here are a few:
https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2013/court-rules-that-federal-agency-failed-to-protect-thousands-of-whales-and-dolphins-from-navy-sonar <https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2013/court-rules-that-federal-agency-failed-to-protect-thousands-of-whales-and-dolphins-from-navy-sonar>

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/navy-training-excercises-12-20-2018.php <https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/navy-training-excercises-12-20-2018.php>

https://www.hcn.org/articles/military-alaskans-at-war-with-u-s-military-over-readiness-exercises <https://www.hcn.org/articles/military-alaskans-at-war-with-u-s-military-over-readiness-exercises>

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-military-sonar-kill/ <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-military-sonar-kill/>

Again the event date/time/place:
Public Speak-Out regarding Navy testing
Tuesday June 4th, Matheson Theatre, Mendocino, 6-8pm
Address of theatre: 45096 Cahto St, Mendocino, CA 95460

Thank you for reading and I hope you can join us!
Andy Wellspring

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