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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Navy Does FL Right Whales a Wrong

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009   

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Groups in Florida committed to protecting the North Atlantic right whale say the Navy has made an end run around environmental protections in announcing construction of its Undersea Warfare Training Range off the Florida and Georgia coasts.

The site is adjacent to the North Atlantic right whale calving grounds and in a protected area for commercially valuable snapper-grouper. According to Defenders of Wildlife attorney Sierra Weaver, the Navy has not done enough to protect the whales.

"They are moving forward with construction without fully assessing the impacts of operating that range. We've spent a lot of time and a lot of money trying to bring this species back from the brink of extinction - and to now say we're going to throw $100 million out to a training range before we fully assess the impacts to right whales? It just seems ludicrous."

The right whale population numbers only about 400, and ship strikes are their single largest cause of death. During 2006, five whales were killed or injured by ship strikes or entanglements. Low-flying aircraft can also be a source of harassment to right whale mothers and calves using the shallow, calm waters as a nursing ground each winter.

The Navy has said construction would not take place during the calving season, and admits it has looked at only some of the environmental impacts of constructing the facility, with plans to look at the operational impacts later in the process. Opponents insist more study must be done; Weaver says once a training range is built, the chances of not operating it are slim.

"It's hard to see how the Navy would in any way stop itself from operating there, even if we found out that the environmental impacts would be horrendous."

Under the Navy's timeline, the training facility will be operational in 2014.




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