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Federal judge throws out Vieques lawsuit

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Puerto Rico to stop the U.S. Navy's bombing exercises on the island of Vieques.

Puerto Rico had claimed that the exercises violated the federal Noise Control Act of 1972, as well as its own environmental noise-control laws, but U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler disagreed.

In her decision, Kessler said she dismissed the lawsuit because the federal Noise Control Act "does not provide plaintiff a cause of action to sue in federal district court for the violations alleged."

The defendants in the case were Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Navy Secretary Gordon England and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark.

The Navy has trained with live ammunition in Vieques for nearly 60 years, and cites the exercises as vital to its military readiness. Local residents opposed to the training believe the bombings cause ecological damage to the island and damage their health. Supporters dismiss those claims as unfounded and say the Navy's presence is good for the island's economy.

President Bush has said that the Navy will stop using Vieques in May 2003. On July 29, Vieques residents, in a symbolic referendum, voted for the United States to immediately stop using the range.

A series of protests began in April 1999, when an errant bomb killed a civilian security guard. Since then, hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested after trespassing onto military property.