New Jersey governor sues to stop to ocean sonic boom research

[June 06, 2015]  (Reuters) - Governor Chris Christie's administration went to federal court on Friday in the hopes of stopping an underwater study off New Jersey's coast during summer tourism season, saying sonic boom research would endanger marine mammals and other species.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection seeks to halt the study being performed by Rutgers University and funded by the National Science Foundation.

The project aims to map the ocean floor near the coast in an effort to help the world's coastal regions better protect themselves from such natural disasters as Superstorm Sandy.

"The project will shoot powerful sonic blasts every five seconds for thirty days into prime fishing areas and waters used by marine mammals and threatened and endangered species," the lawsuit said.

The Christie administration argued the project, which is taking place during peak fishing season, violates federal laws protecting marine mammals.

The "high-energy 3-D seismic study in the Atlantic Ocean" involves a 12 by 50 kilometer (7 by 31 mile) rectangular area off the coast of New Jersey, according to the court complaint.

"The impacts will be felt far outside of the study area and are likely to include reduced catch rates for New Jersey's commercial and recreational fishing industries, and harassment of marine mammals," the state said in court papers.

It's the second year in a row that Rutgers has received federal funding to conduct the study, but last year the project was canceled due to mechanical problems with the research vessel.

The shoreline action comes at the same time the Republican governor faces harsh criticism from Democrats for a proposed $225 million settlement with Exxon for environmental damage in the state.

Democrats said a judge should instead impose $2.5 billion in damages and that the governor's proposed settlement would short- change citizens for the damages caused by Exxon pollution at two petroleum treatment centers in northern New Jersey and at other facilities and gas stations across the state.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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