OLF Grounded
Apparently, in the past few days Michael Jordan, Clay Aiken, and other NC celebrities led a surprise "Stop the War Machine" campaign and brought the Navy's OLF plans to a screeching halt.
OK, not really. But the Washington and Beaufort counties and a coalition of conservation groups did convince one federal judge that the Navy's proposal fails to meet environmental standards.
The next step (possibly): the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, should the Navy decide to appeal.
OK, not really. But the Washington and Beaufort counties and a coalition of conservation groups did convince one federal judge that the Navy's proposal fails to meet environmental standards.
The next step (possibly): the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, should the Navy decide to appeal.
3 Comments:
Will this be a screeching halt, or just a speedbump for the military?
I know nothing about the Richmond court. Is it liberal or conservative? Does it generally support the military in situations like this?
This was a big decision on several levels. Not only did it show that some coordinated "not in our backyard" activism can have impact.
The judge also hinted in his decision that this a rebuke to the Navy pushing its weight around, as the armed forced are wont to do in places like rural North Carolina.
For example, in his opinion he noted that "numerous e-mails and documents strongly suggest that [the NC site] ... was a political decision" to appease Hampton Roads, Va. residents, who didn't want the noisy night training of planes.
The Navy made a calculation that the eastern N.C. communities would roll over and take it, and they were proved wrong.
Well, according to several online sources (here's one), the 4th District Court is one of the most conservative in the country.
Will that effect the Navy's chances?
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