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- From: scott@hpcvccl.cv.hp.com (Scott Linn)
- Subject: Re: Long-term cave exploration - waste disposal?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov23.232817.13519@hpcvca.cv.hp.com>
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- Nntp-Posting-Host: hpcvccl.cv.hp.com
- Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
- References: <1992Nov20.205106.3779@tamsun.tamu.edu>
- Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:28:17 GMT
- Lines: 46
-
- jag9931@rigel.tamu.edu (GLENNON, JOHN ALAN) writes:
-
- Re: Lechuguilla Cave and human waste
-
- : Apparently, it was
- : once a practice to leave human waste in Lechuguilla (urine in a bucket),
- : with the thought that the urine would evaporate. From what I have heard,
- : the urine has not evaporated, and one of the base camps stinks to
- : "high heaven".
-
- Early on, piss buckets were put in (by recommendation of the park) to
- concentrate the urine in one area, and hopefully it would evaporate. Of
- course, in 96% humidity, it did not. Yes, it stunk to high heaven, but
- they were removed a long time ago. I would not have wanted to be one of
- the people who helped haul the piss out.
-
- 1) It has been a practice from the start that all solid waste would go out
- with the cavers.
-
- 2) Urine is to be carried out during all trips less than or equal to 24
- hours (typically up to 36 hours). On more extended trips, urine is
- allowed in specific areas only, where there is some kind of "soil", not
- just a gypsym substrate. If you are less than a certain distance from
- the entrance on your way out, then you need to carry that out, too.
-
- : The Park Service has closed Lechuguilla Cave temporarily to exploration
- : while such resource management issues are examined.
-
- From where did you get this (wholly incorrect) information?
-
- Lech is "closed" due to a difference of opinion between cavers, the LCP
- head, and the Park Service. The difference of opinion had nothing to do
- with "resource management issues". It was about the park wanting all raw
- survey data and computer data (not just line plots or finished maps), and
- volunteer status of the project members. The difference of opinion resulted
- in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Park and the Lechuguilla
- Cave Project being canceled.
-
- Note that Lech isn't actually "closed" per se. If you have a valid
- scientific/exploration project in mind that requires the cave, you can
- petition the Park Service to let you in. A few trips have been made since
- the MOU was cancelled. The National Geographic filming being a prime
- example.
-
- Scott Linn
- scott@hpcvccl.cv.hp.com
-