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A good start would be to remove this guy and his pals from the area. Connie LoRe wrote: > > Fellow Cave Divers, > > The attached regarding an environmental issue is forwarded for your > information and in the hope that you will consider corresponding to the > appropriate parties. > > Connie > http://www.cavediving.com/connie/ Ginnie Springs 904-454-2202 > Yucatan Cave Trips Home 727-862-2676 voice/fax > 18237 Oshawa Dr.,Hudson,FL 34667 > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: This is my Contribution. > Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 10:13:55 -0400 > From: Steve Gerrard <104164.1441@co*.co*> > To: Connie LoRe <connie97@gt*.ne*> > > AN ALARMING POTENTIAL DISASTER! > > > By STEVE GERRARD > > Jack and Jill had just climbed out of the entrance of SISTEMA VACA > HA from a glorious cave > dive exploring new passageways looking for the mystery connection to the > SISTEMA CARWASH. They knew they were within 150 feet (45 meters) from the > downstream passage known as "THE DRAIN". In their excitement, they > compared their mental notes and ideas of what could be the "key" to the > doorway of making another historical connection between two different cave > systems. Several connections have been made during 1999 between separate > cave systems and they wanted to add their names to this very productive > year of underwater cave exploration in the Riviera Maya of Mexico's Yucatan > peninsula. > > Removing their equipment and laying it down in their van, they begin > stripping their wetsuits and drying off their wet bodies with towels. Jill > quickly noticed her skin on her left arm was blotched with patches of a > bright red pigmentation. Odd, perhaps it was the insect repellent she had > used prior to the dive that caused this. Suddenly, looking down at her > ankles she saw her skin had erupted into large boils leaking a yellow puss. > The smell that drifted slowly upward knock her head back as her nostrils > caught the bitter stench. In the same moment, Jack ran from back of the > van screaming in horror holding his crotch area. His entire stomach area > was covered with shreds of skin as if boiling pizza hot out of the oven. > Pulling his hands away, Jack saw in disbelief a grisly and bloody mess > hanging from his groin. Jill fainted falling to the ground. What the hell > was going on? > > Now that I have your undivided attention, all the above could be true > in the near future. It is possible. What happened to Jack & Jill? > > In recent years, an eruption of construction and growth has evolved > along Mexico's Caribbean coast now known as the Riviera Maya. A clever > marketing tool to promote and build a giant tourist destination and money > machine for the Mexican government and those who claim the position of the > elite. Obvious corruption and irresponsibility is largely to blame. Hey, > there's nothing wrong with making money, right? But when growth is not > properly managed and a total disregard for the impact of the fragile > ecosystems that exists in our beautiful area then something is terribly > wrong. The fringing reefs in the Caribbean sea, the filtering mangroves > that allow the perpetuation of life to continue and the hundreds of cenotes > that pilfer the jungle which represent the "windows" to most important > ingredient to this entire story - the aquifer - our precious water supply. > These three specific areas all endure in a delicate balance of survival. > > > Mexico has an extensive track record of being insensitive to the > environment. When 10% of the population represents the ruling class and > all the other people work hard and long hours just to eat and survive, the > importance of protecting the land, the resources and the future does not > measure very high on the popularity scale. The lack of education is the #1 > casualty. But, the good news is its changing. It is slowing changing but > will take many years to become better. Recognizing and preventing the > problem would certainly be the superior approach but unfortunately learning > the "hard way" and fixing the problem(s) after it occurs always seems to be > the choice that dictates our human behavior. Maybe one day that will > change too! > So, let us focus on one problem, our problem as cave divers. A > year ago, the village of Tulum moved their local landfill from the old site > located at the corner of Highway 307 and the Coba road. That was a smart > move. (So you know, Sistema K'Oxul goes right under this site.) Their > choice for a new landfill site was stupid. Now, I will not claim to know > how the local politics works or the available sites to choose from (are > there ever any good choices for garbage dumps?). This choice is simple - > it sucks. Why? It is located too close to several underwater cave > systems. These caves represent the pipelines for the water drainage for > everything northwest of the Tulum area. With the porous limestone and the > extensive amount of rainfall each year, severe contamination to the aquifer > will occur. It's just a matter of time when we will see it. > There are three cave systems in question: > 1. Sistema Carwash > 2. Sistema Vaca Ha > 3. Sistema Touch Ha > The jungle was cleared by bulldozers and covers an area of 10 acres or > ½ hectare. The landfill is located northwest of the Cenote Carwash by > less than a kilometer. That is 3000 feet (900 meters) away from the main > opening to the surface. Let's not forget that there are two more openings > further upstream of this cave system. But, my money is betting on Sistema > Toucha Ha will see the first traces of corruption from this garbage dump. > It has an enormous upstream conduit that goes 7000 feet (2,121 meters) in a > northwest direction south of Sistema Casrwash. This dump will contaminate > this cave very soon. > Two weeks ago I took my cave diving class of three students out to the > landfill area to show them the problem and to take photos. The Mayan > caretaker took me around and showed me SEVEN cenote openings that meander > down to the aquifer. One was stuffed with dead cow carcasses along with > the typical trash. All seven openings had material stuffed in them. We > found it appalling and disgusting. > We looked for automobile batteries and other toxic and chemical > contaminants with no success but I'm > sure those types of materials exist. There was no evidence of procedures > to separate bad waste or any > methods of recycling. This garbage dump is an environmental situation > waiting to explode into a disaster. > How do we solve this specific problem as a cave diving community? > Why should you care about a problem in far away Mexico? I realize that > North Florida has the same problems with surface contamination entering > into its own aquifer system. It's happening all over the world. Luckily, > many people are doing the necessary actions to create the awareness and > education to help correct those problems from continuing. And that's by > writing your local politicians and government officials expressing your > concern and anguish about this important and critical issue. You may live > far away but if you enjoy cave diving the beautiful cenotes and cave system > of the Akumal - Tulum area then please help and get involved. Yes, it's > easy to ignore or care less about this little, isolated problem. All the > effort and work may not do a damn thing. But, if we don't try you will > never know if you can make a difference. To many of us just plow through > life with blinders on ignoring everything that goes on that is wrong or bad > for our environment. > What about the local population doing something? Well, good question, > tough answer. Most people lack the skills or the ability to express > themselves. Like I said, when you are busting your ass to feed your > family, things like a dump don't factor in. For those of us who do have > the ability and skills, you would think that they are doing their part. > Fact or fantasy, that is the question. > This is what we are asking of everyone within the cave diving > community. Please write a short letter or e-mail to the following people. > It's not that difficult and it will only take a few minutes of your time. > Do not worry about language. The message will get across. Please express > your concern about the garbage dump of Tulum located 8 kilometers > northwest on the Coba road. With consistent pressure from divers all > around the world, each you can make a difference in making the political > community and government agencies recognize that there is a serious problem > and their actions must correct this potentially deadly crisis. Your help > is asked. > If enough people respond, these efforts will open the eyes of those > who have the power and ability to makes changes better for the future. No > one wants to have what happened to Jack and Jill. You can make the > difference. > > For more information contact: > SAVE > > Society of Akumal's Vital > Ecology > Email: Internet:save@ce*.co* > www.cenote.com/eclogy > Telephone/Fax: (011-52) 987-59020 > > Please write to: > > -C. Lic. Ernesto Zedillo y Ponce de Leon > Presidente Contitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos > Residencia Presidencia De La Pinos > Puerto Central, Primer Piso, Col. San Miquel > Chapultepec, CP 11850 > Mexico D.F. > Fax: (011-52) 55-22-41-17 > > -M. en C. Julia Carabias Lillo > Secretaria del Medio Ambiente Recursoso Naturales y Pesca > Lateral de Anillo Periferico Sur 4209, Piso 6 > Fracc. Jardines de la Montana > Delegacion Tialpan, 14210 > Mexico. D.F. > Internet: carabias@se*.dg*.un*.mx* > Tel. (001-52) 56-28-06-02 y 628 0603 > > -Ing. Pedro Alavarez - Icaza Longoria > Director General de Ordenamiento Eciologico e Impacto Ambiental > Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (INE) > Av. Revolucion 1425-16 > Col. Tlacpac 01040 > Mexico D.F. > Internet: dgoeia@in*.go*.mx* y palvarez@in*.go*.mx* > Tel. (011-52) 56-24-33-66 y 67 Fax. (011-52) 56-24-35-87 y 624-3368 > > -Biol. Magdallena Garcia Rendon. > Directoria de Ordenamiento Ecologico > Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (INE) > Av. Revolucion 1425 nivel 5 > Col. Tlacopac. San Angel > Alvaro Obregon 01040 > Mexico D.F. > Internet: mrendon@in*.go*.mx* y doe@in*.go*.mx* > Tel. (011-52) 56-24-33-77 Fax: (011-52) 56-24-33-68 y 624-3587 > > -C. Enrique Provencio > Presidente del Instituto Nacional de Ecologia > Av. Revolcion 1425 > Col. Tlacopac San Angel > Del. Alvaro Obregon > Mexico D.F. > Internet: cpdurazo@se*.un*.mx* > Tel. (011-52) 56-24-34-00 al 03 Fax: (011-52) 56-24-34-98 > > Sr. Joaquin Hendricks Diaz > Gobernador Del Estado De Quintana Roo > Calle 22 de Enero > S/n Palacio Governo en Chetumal, Q. Roo 07000 > Mexico > Tel. (011-52) 983-20266 ext. 110 Fax: (011-52) 983-24257
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