Environmental groups in the Northern Marianas are planning to sue the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for alleged failure to comply with Endangered Species Act with the ongoing live-fire and sea training.
The groups decried the Navy's unfettered access to what it was being described as the largest military training area in the world.
Pagan Island Photo: Supplied
They said the military had a potentially negative impact to any number of the 23 species listed by the Service as threatened.
At the forefront of the planned lawsuit is Pagan Watch as well as Alternative Zero Coalition, Center for Biological Diversity, Fanacho Marianas, Guardians of Gani, Oceania Resistance,Tinian Premier Football Club, and Tinian Women's Association.
The Marianas Islands Training and Testing area had been expanded to 2.5 million square kilometres which is an area larger than the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Montana and New Mexico combined.
