Gary
I hear what your saying, and will wait for a report about Volk and
Allen's trip before responding to the BLM. However, I think what Wes was
trying to say, is that Reiley could and should have had the pumps serviced
over the summer. That there really isn't any good excuse for the six week +
down time, and the BLM has dropped the ball by not staying on top of this.
Maybe "Save the Salt" has dropped the ball too, but some how we as a group
need to keep this ball rolling and make sure the "Salt" is replenished and
preserved.
John Beckett, LSR Comp Coupe #79
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary & Ellen" <garyellen@uswest.net>
To: "Ed Van Scoy" <edvs@uswest.net>; "Wester S Potter" <wspotter@jps.net>
Cc: "Cris Shearer" <cshearer@tacisp.com>; " Dan Wright"
<daniel.wright@genetics.utah.edu>; " EllenGary Wilkinson"
<dan.w@mindspring.com>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>; "Gary Allen at home"
<gallen@relia.net>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2000 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: Salt Flats are DRY
> Hi Ed, I think you are right. Let's wait a couple days until we get the
> report back....as Gary Allen and Larry Volk are on their way to Wendover
> today to meet with involved parties. The main problem is a pump failed,
> this takes time to pull it , repair it, and reinstall it. There is also
lead
> time involved after they rip the pond and flood it to get the salt ready
to
> come back over. This is a very delicately balanced process. Pumping
water
> without the right salinity does more damage than good.
> Gary & Ellen Wilkinson
> Utah Salt Flats Racing Association
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ed Van Scoy" <edvs@uswest.net>
> To: "Wester S Potter" <wspotter@jps.net>
> Cc: "Cris Shearer" <cshearer@tacisp.com>; " Dan Wright"
> <daniel.wright@genetics.utah.edu>; " EllenGary Wilkinson"
> <dan.w@mindspring.com>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Friday, December 29, 2000 9:39 AM
> Subject: Re: Salt Flats are DRY
>
>
> > Wes,
> > Would anything we did (write, call, pitch a fit, etc) do anything that
> would
> > screw up the efforts of Save The Salt?
> > Ed
> >
> >
> > Wester S Potter wrote:
> >
> > > List members and concerned racers,
> > >
> > > The following is my opinion.
> > >
> > > The heading "Salt Flats are Dry" should send chills up the spine of
> everyone
> > > who cares about the Bonneville Salt Flats. Thanks to Cris and Ed
> Shearer we
> > > have an accurate, off-season, on-the-spot report to those who only go
to
> the
> > > salt in the summer.
> > >
> > > This is an occasion where everyone who cares about the future of the
> > > Bonneville Salt Flats needs to start pushing for Reilly Industries to
> get
> > > the brine pumping going again.
> > >
> > > Larry Volk who is Save the Salt Chairman and Mary West, the Secretary,
> > > should be on top of this. The money that has been paid to the Save
the
> Salt
> > > Fund is supposed to be going to a watchdog effort. At Speed Week
there
> was
> > > a lot of talk about supporting that cause with additional money.
> Larry's
> > > phone number is (801) 292-5425.
> > >
> > > The combined USFRA, SCTA/BNI leadership/membership needs to put up a
> howl to
> > > the BLM asking why there has been no pumping for over six weeks. This
> > > pumping is part of an agreement between three parties, racers/Save the
> Salt
> > > who use the race course area, the BLM who has Federal control of the
> area
> > > and Reilly who actually owns part of the area (including the south end
> of
> > > the race course) and has leases for mining on virtually the whole
basin.
> > > The target amount is 1,500,000 tons of salt returned to the racing
> surface
> > > each winter. The last two years the amount returned has been over a
> > > million, eight hundred thousand tons. That's well over the target
> amount
> > > but obviously a do-able amount to pump and the facilities are in place
> for
> > > it to continue. There are seventy three million tons on the south
side
> of
> > > I-80 that belong on the north side. The Reilly mining leases are due
> for
> > > renewal in the next two years. The BLM Salt Lake office number is
(801)
> > > 977-4300.
> > >
> > > If this down time were costing Reilly anything you can be sure they
> would
> > > have solved the problems involved many weeks ago. The fact that they
> pumped
> > > a very high brine content last April could have damaged the pumps and
> > > probably did, but they had all summer to repair any problems there.
> Their
> > > main offices are in Indianapolis, IN.
> > >
> > > The former, as of this month, BLM Director, Tom Fry, was on the salt
at
> > > World of Speed in September and voiced the opinion, at that time, that
> the
> > > pumping project should continue until there was a good thirteen mile
> course
> > > again. He was a Democrat appointee ... campaign type promises?
> > >
> > > If this is an example of how well Reilly performs when the pressure is
> off,
> > > look out for the future of the pumping/restoration project at the end
of
> the
> > > first five years. You have all seen how much two really good pumping
> years
> > > helped the salt after a less than sterling first year, BUT WE ARE
> LOOKING AT
> > > NET GAIN, and all that and more could all be lost in another two bad
> years.
> > >
> > > I was on the salt the first time for Speed Week in 1951 and I remember
> how
> > > much salt there was out there and how hard, thick, endless and deep it
> > > seemed ... and how safe the racers felt running there. I'd like to
see
> it
> > > that way again in my lifetime. How can we assure it?
> > >
> > > Wes Potter
> > >
> > > on 12/26/00 10:25 AM, Cris Shearer at cshearer@tacisp.com wrote:
> > >
> > > > Ed and I drove to the salt flats Sat via: Lakepoint, across the UP
> > > > railroad and over to Lucin.
> > > > When we got to the end of the access road, the flats were dry.
There
> > > > were cars doing burn-outs and laying rubber. We called Gary Allen
> from
> > > > the end of the access road and let him know. He said the pumps were
> > > > still down and were suppose to begin pumping again this week. We
then
> > > > drove over to the pumps and could see one pump was running. Gary
said
> > > > he and Larry talked about what Reilly would do to make up for the
> 1 -1/2
> > > > months of down time. We also heard one or two of Reilly's big boys
> > > > retired. Don't know what/if any impact this might cause. Just
wanted
> > > > to give you a quick update. I'm home all week if anything comes up.
> > > > Hope you all had a great Christmas. Cris
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