美國布希總統15日做了一項破天荒的決定－－豁免聯邦法院要求海軍保護鯨豚的命令！聯邦法庭日前下令，美國海軍在南加州外海進行聲納演練時，要將對鯨豚的傷害減到最小。因為科學家們表示，用來偵測潛水艇的海軍聲納，對海洋哺乳動物來說是傷害性的猛爆聲響，有可能殺死牠們。
接獲該項法官裁示文件的美國自然資源保護協會（Natural Resources Defense Council）表示，該會將在24小時內採取行動，針對布希的豁免令向聯邦上訴法院第九巡迴審判庭提起上訴。
美國海軍部長溫特（Donald Winter）16日表示：「海軍使用主動聲納時已採用了29種緩和方法，並將持續使用這些作法，而這些作法都是經過聯邦核可的。」
如今這個議題正轉變成一項行政與司法部門的鬥爭。
前述提及的豁免命令，是布希在前往中東訪問途中簽署的。布希簽署的是海軍豁免於《海岸地區管理法》（Coastal Zone Management Act）的備忘錄，同時間，並允許了另一項針對《國家環境政策法案》（National Environmental Policy Act）的「緊急」豁免令。上述兩項法律是法庭3日發佈裁決書的基礎，該項裁決由聯邦地方法庭法官庫波（Florence-Marie Cooper）所簽署的，要求海軍在名為SOCIAL的海軍演習中，操控中頻聲納時，必須監測海洋哺乳動物活動，並避開牠們。
布希在豁免備忘錄中指出，商業部長（Secretary of Commerce）已於11日發出正式書函，要求海軍在演習中使用中頻主動聲納時能夠不必遵守這項法令。
In an unprecedented action, President George W. Bush Tuesday overrode a federal court order that requires the U.S. Navy to minimize harm to whales and dolphins during sonar exercises off Southern California. Scientists say the loud blasts of sound emitted by Navy sonar to detect submarines harm and possibly kill marine mammals.
A spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which obtained the court order, says the group will appeal the Bush waiver to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals within 24 hours.
Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter said today the Navy "already applies 29 mitigation measures approved by federal environmental regulators when using active sonar, and these will remain in place."
The issue is shaping up as a battle between the executive and the judicial branches of government.
While traveling in the Middle East, President Bush signed the memo giving the Navy a waiver under the Coastal Zone Management Act and also allowed a second "emergency" waiver under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Those laws are the basis of a January 3 injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper, that requires the Navy to monitor for and avoid marine mammals while operating high-intensity, mid-frequency sonar during the "SOCAL" naval exercises, now underway.
In his memo issuing the waiver, President Bush said that the Secretary of Commerce made a written request Friday that the Navy be exempted from compliance with the order in its use of mid-frequency active sonar during training exercises.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
