"Conservation groups fighting the Trump administration’s bid to open the Atlantic Ocean to offshore drilling asked a federal court Wednesday to block companies from conducting seismic tests to determine the location of oil and gas deposits.

Five companies are awaiting the approval of final government permits allowing them to start what the environmentalists call “ear piercing” tests that can be disruptive to marine life, particularly mammals such as whales and dolphins that use echolocation to communicate and feed.

Claiming the issuance of those permits is imminent, as soon as March 1, the groups asked a judge in South Carolina to issue an injunction that would bar seismic testing until a lawsuit they filed against the administration in December can be decided."

Darryl Fears reports for the Washington Post February 20, 2019. [2]