What is the Navy doing now that their LFAS testing period is completed?
The Navy published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in late July 1999. The public comment period on the DEIS closed on October 28, 1999. The Navy is required, by law, to incorporate the questions and answers raised by the public in the Final EIS when published at a future date. On August 12, 1999, just two weeks after the release of the DEIS to the public, the Navy applied to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for a Letter of Authorizaion (LOA) concerning LFAS operations. This LOA is a permit to harass marine mammals while operating LFAS worldwide for a period of time, not to exceed 5 years, beginning in FY2000 (October 1999).
