WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon hasn't made the case for exemptions from three environmental laws or provided examples of how military operations have been impeded by them, a congressional report said Friday.

The Government Accountability Office report came after the Navy lost in court over training exercises it was conducting under an exemption to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Environmentalists contended that the Navy's use of sonar could harm whales off the Southern California coast, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled March 2 that the Navy had to limit the sonar use.

In a written response included in the GAO report, the Pentagon contended it had provided a solid rationale for seeking the provisions. It argued that the term "exemptions" shouldn't be used because it was an oversimplification that "unnecessarily reinforces the perception that DOD has sought to avoid its environmental stewardship responsibilities."

A Pentagon spokeswoman, Cheryl Irwin, declined Friday to comment beyond the written response, saying the report had not yet been reviewed.

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