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To Members of the USDCT From George Irvine and Bill Mee:

Our feelings about your project have been very public and vocal and all =
of you know exactly how we feel regarding the structural, procedural and =
organization aspects of the Wakulla II project. We do not solicit or =
expect endearment from anyone in your project. Nevertheless, there is no =
reason why we should not treat the issue of your lives and safety any =
differently than the lives of those people who are members of the WKPP. =
On the subject of saving lives and promoting safety there is no polemic =
or political divide.=20

I believe that all of you would agree that the collective experience of =
the WKPP within the Woodville Karst Plain cannot be dismissed and that =
our opinions regarding procedure and safety on the subject of extended =
range mixed gas exploration cave diving carry some weight. Most all of =
you are aware of our opinion regarding the use of electronic closed =
circuit rebreathers (CCRs) in a cave diving application. We feel that =
the risk involved with such devices far outweighs the reward. Such =
statements are not made frivolously, particularly since we have access =
to a large knowledge base on CCR technology. \

It is no secret that we utilize semi closed circuit mechanical =
rebreathers to leverage our open circuit logistics. Only after careful =
and contentious review of the risks associated with all forms of =
rebreathers did we arrive at the conclusion that only the SCR variety =
had an acceptable risk level commensurate with our exploration efforts. =
Even with a clear understanding of these risks we still determined that =
a fully redundant open circuit cave diving rig had to be layered over =
the rebreather system. Anyone who actively cave dives can see and =
appreciate the logic in this approach.=20

Our philosophy, besides the adherence to the Doing it Right system and =
the WKPPs team approach, also broadly encompasses a firm belief that =
everything will fail and that to balance the risk we must prepare for =
these eventualities. Despite the reputation of our scooters, we assume =
they will fail at the worst possible time and likewise for our very =
simple and reliable rebreathers. For this reason, as well as others too =
numerous to mention, we invested heavily in the deployment of safety =
gases within the cave. There are stations of safety bottles, containing =
12/50 trimix every 1000ft or less out to beyond 6000 ft. These bottles =
are still there and are fully functional.

Despite the fact that the State and other official government organs =
have taken a stiff upper lip with respect to the issue of fatalities in =
Wakulla, reality suggests otherwise. You can be sure that the scenario =
of body recoveries will not fare well in the Tallahassee and statewide =
media. Do not assume that this will go unnoticed. Such an occurrence =
will receive maximum press coverage with an inevitable inquest into what =
happened and who was responsible. The end result of this will be a =
curtain call for exploration cave diving on State lands for both the =
USDCT and the WKPP. In short the game will be over for everyone.


Based on the Wakulla II plan, as we understand it, you will be facing =
dreadful risks, which the leadership of your project may not be fully =
disclosing. Most of you cave dive and many of you know members of the =
WKPP and have shared information detailing just what a terrible and =
dangerous situation you are facing.=20

Since we do not consider any of you expendable we hereby make all of our =
safety gases available to anyone and everyone in the Wakulla II project. =
If you need to use this gas feel free to do so. It is there for you and =
there is plenty of it. If you use any of the bottles simply return them =
to the park management (i.e, Sandy Cook or Scott Savery).=20

If any of you have specific concerns regarding any of the diving related =
issues in Wakulla please feel free to contact any project member =
privately or publicly and we will provide you with the most truthful =
information.

With best regards,

George Irvine and Bill Mee


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<HTML>
<HEAD>

<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 =
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<META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>
<P>To Members of the USDCT From George Irvine and Bill Mee:</P>
<P>Our feelings about your project have been very public and vocal and =
all of=20
you know exactly how we feel regarding the structural, procedural and=20
organization aspects of the Wakulla II project. We do not solicit or =
expect=20
endearment from anyone in your project. Nevertheless, there is no reason =
why we=20
should not treat the issue of your lives and safety any differently than =
the=20
lives of those people who are members of the WKPP. On the subject of =
saving=20
lives and promoting safety there is no polemic or political divide. </P>
<P>I believe that all of you would agree that the collective experience =
of the=20
WKPP within the Woodville Karst Plain cannot be dismissed and that our =
opinions=20
regarding procedure and safety on the subject of extended range mixed =
gas=20
exploration cave diving carry some weight. Most all of you are aware of =
our=20
opinion regarding the use of electronic closed circuit rebreathers =
(CCRs) in a=20
cave diving application. We feel that the risk involved with such =
devices far=20
outweighs the reward. Such statements are not made frivolously, =
particularly=20
since we have access to a large knowledge base on CCR technology. \</P>
<P>It is no secret that we utilize semi closed circuit mechanical =
rebreathers to=20
leverage our open circuit logistics. Only after careful and contentious =
review=20
of the risks associated with all forms of rebreathers did we arrive at =
the=20
conclusion that only the SCR variety had an acceptable risk level =
commensurate=20
with our exploration efforts. Even with a clear understanding of these =
risks we=20
still determined that a fully redundant open circuit cave diving rig had =
to be=20
layered over the rebreather system. Anyone who actively cave dives can =
see and=20
appreciate the logic in this approach. </P>
<P>Our philosophy, besides the adherence to the Doing it Right system =
and the=20
WKPPs team approach, also broadly encompasses a firm belief that =
everything will=20
fail and that to balance the risk we must prepare for these =
eventualities.=20
Despite the reputation of our scooters, we assume they will fail at the =
worst=20
possible time and likewise for our very simple and reliable rebreathers. =
For=20
this reason, as well as others too numerous to mention, we invested =
heavily in=20
the deployment of safety gases within the cave. There are stations of =
safety=20
bottles, containing 12/50 trimix every 1000ft or less out to beyond 6000 =
ft.=20
These bottles are still there and are fully functional.</P>
<P>Despite the fact that the State and other official government organs =
have=20
taken a stiff upper lip with respect to the issue of fatalities in =
Wakulla,=20
reality suggests otherwise. You can be sure that the scenario of body =
recoveries=20
will not fare well in the Tallahassee and statewide media. Do not assume =
that=20
this will go unnoticed. Such an occurrence will receive maximum press =
coverage=20
with an inevitable inquest into what happened and who was responsible. =
The end=20
result of this will be a curtain call for exploration cave diving on =
State lands=20
for both the USDCT and the WKPP. In short the game will be over for=20
everyone.</P>
<P></P>
<P>Based on the Wakulla II plan, as we understand it, you will be facing =

dreadful risks, which the leadership of your project may not be fully=20
disclosing. Most of you cave dive and many of you know members of the =
WKPP and=20
have shared information detailing just what a terrible and dangerous =
situation=20
you are facing. </P>
<P>Since we do not consider any of you expendable we hereby make all of =
our=20
safety gases available to anyone and everyone in the Wakulla II project. =
If you=20
need to use this gas feel free to do so. It is there for you and there =
is plenty=20
of it. If you use any of the bottles simply return them to the park =
management=20
(i.e, Sandy Cook or Scott Savery). </P>
<P>If any of you have specific concerns regarding any of the diving =
related=20
issues in Wakulla please feel free to contact any project member =
privately or=20
publicly and we will provide you with the most truthful information.</P>
<P>With best regards,</P>
<P>George Irvine and Bill Mee</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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