Study Urged on Navy Underwater Testing

Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) wants the Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service to conduct a full environmental impact report on a proposal to detonate underwater explosives to test warship hulls.

Beilenson, in a statement released this week, said he also wants a more in-depth accounting of the number of marine mammals that would be killed or injured before any testing is conducted in waters west of the Channel Islands.

But a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--the parent organization of the fisheries service--said Wednesday that two public hearings already have been held on the proposal.

Navy officials could not be reached for comment.

In its application to the oceanic agency, the Navy is requesting permission for an incidental killing of marine mammals, including some endangered species, during the testing. The proposed tests, which would be conducted over five years, would be conducted to see how warships and on-board electronics withstand the blasts.

Fisheries officials estimate that no more than a few dozen animals will be killed during the annual tests. Several hundred more might be exposed to injury or harassment each year as a result of the explosions.