Appeals court clears way for seismic ocean tests off New Jersey

The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that seismic blasting off New Jersey’s coast can proceed, the environmental group Clean Ocean Action said.

A federal appeals court has cleared the path for seismic testing that will blast the ocean floor off Long Beach Island with loud noises as part of a climate change research project.

Environmentalists, fishing groups and some elected officials oppose the work, saying it could harm or kill marine life including dolphins, turtles and whales.

A spokesman for the state’s Environmental Protection Department says it is studying its options.

Rutgers University, the University of Texas and the National Science Foundation want to study sediments deposited on the ocean floor by changing global sea levels.

Agencies/Canadajournal