Judge limits use of sonar by Navy to save sea life

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Citing concerns for marine mammals, a federal judge on Tuesday limited the Navy's use of a new sonar system designed to detect enemy submarines.

The decision scuttles the Navy's plans to experiment with the low-frequency sonar throughout the majority of the world's oceans, confining it instead to areas with few marine mammals and endangered species.

The case stems from a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental organizations that claimed the powerful sonar system harasses and can even kill marine mammals.

The judge ordered NRDC and the Navy to determine where testing the sonar would have a minimal impact on marine life and set a hearing for Oct. 7 to review the matter.