The Associated Press
BELLINGHAM — Environmentalists are worried that Navy testing off the Washington, Oregon and California coasts will hurt whales.
A proposal to expand Navy operations in its Northwest Training Range have been approved by the Obama administration.
The plans include increased sailor training and weapons testing, as well as underwater training minefield for submarines.
The area has been used for Navy training since before World War II.
The Bellingham Herald reports environmentalists are concerned about plans to expand training there.
In a letter to the Navy, the Natural Resources Defense Council said the plan “would pose significant risk to whales, fish and other wildlife.”
The group is concerned about hazardous materials in the water from both spent and unexploded weapons.
