20 Oct 2017

Lawsuit seeks US military openness on Marianas plans

From , 6:02 am on 20 October 2017

The US military is being urged to fully disclose the impacts of its live-fire plans for the Northern Marianas.

A federal judge has rejected the military's request to dismiss a legal challenge to its plans for two Marianas islands, Pagan and Tinian.

Plans to use the islands as live-fire and bombing sites are linked to a proposed transfer of 5000 US marines to neighbouring Guam from Japan.

The lawsuit was filed by the NGO Earthjustice on behalf of Marianas citizen groups who believe the plans will devastate their islands.

Earthjustice's attorney David Henkin says the military failed to disclose all of the impacts of its plans.