Surfrider Foundation to Launch RIMPAC Watch

WHO: The Kaua’i chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will monitor the environmental impacts of battleships and warplanes of twenty two nations.

WHAT: 2012 RIMPAC (the Rim of the Pacific War Exercise), will surround Hawai’i with weaponry and war in order to practice at potential Naval sea battle.

WHERE: Off the coast of Hawaii

WHEN: June 29 to August 7
More:
WHY: The Kaua’i chapter of the Surfrider Foundation successfully sued the US Navy for not obeying federal environmental laws for RIMPAC in 2006. The Navy has tried to comply with the law by producing an Environmental Impact Statement for the training exercises that says, pretty much, ‘we’ll do what ever we want for the then next five years and we will get permits to kill and injure whales and other endangered species because what we do is more important than protecting the ocean.’ The Surfrider Chapter will call on its 600 plus supporters to monitor the war ships and planes and call in when they find adverse environmental impacts.

RIMPAC IMPACTS

Environmental concerns:

Here are ones we have already experienced, but with greater concentration of vessels they are more likely to occur, especially with all of the foreign vessels that may not have systems up to US standards.

1. Sonar will kill, deafen, or otherwise harm whales , dolphins, turtles, seals, fish (eg mellom head whales in Hanalei)
2. Ship collisions will kill whales, dolphins, turtles, seals
3. All of these ships , especially foreign, will be dumping sewage and other wates in waters just offshore
4. Ships, submarine etc will run aground and destroy reefs
5. Ships, submarines will collide and release fuel and other chemicals in to water

Then there are the things we have not adequately documented like:

1. Un-spent fuel and exhaust from airplanes, helicopters, rockets, missiles, torpedoes will poison sea life
2. Underwater sonic booms from experimental torpedoes will cause mass fish kills (Niihau?)
3. Air pollution will come from ship’s engines burning bunker fuel and diesel.

Broader picture:

• HUGE amount of CO2 produced getting vessels here from foreign countries and operating in our waters
• Concentration of nuclear power plants on ships and nuclear weaponry on board.
• Massive funding wasted on these games and arms buildup.

NOAA Stranding Hotline number: 1-888-256-9840

Surfrider Foundation Reporting number: 808/337-9977 surfriderkauai@gmail.com

Contacts: Carl Berg, Surfrider Foundation, Kaua’i chair, cberg@pixi.com 808/639 2968 • Gordon LaBedz, Surfrider Foundation RIMPAC Watch Coordinator GLaBedzMD@aol.com, 808/337-9977

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