I would like to waste my time and respond to James Blue Wolf”s letter “Protecting our lake” that appeared in “Your Opinion” section on May 31.
His basic argument concerning “bass boats and gas-powered craft cruising our pristine and beautiful lake” suggest “in the wake of these craft” that “perhaps as much as one-third of all the fuel that passes through the motor, spreads out on the surface of the lake.” Now to put this into simple terms, he said that for every three gallons of gas someone puts into their boat, they are dumping as much as 1 gallon back into the lake. In the context he described, this is absolutely false! There is not enough space in this column to describe the differences of 4-cycle and 2-cycle engines, the source of his environmental buddy”s information and other specifics, however, those get lost in his real agenda.
He then goes on to suggest that our county supervisors should “set a moratorium on gas-powered vehicles on the lake over the next five years.” Fortunately we don”t have any of the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees as supervisors or this kind of exaggeration of any real facts might be taken seriously. He goes on to say: “Despite the tribe”s attempts to document the pollution taking place, there is little science being conducted on the synergistic effects of petroleum, chemical and biological contaminants on the long-term health of human beings.” If there is any detectable problem today, it will be long gone before any study is completed. To date I have not read or heard of any report or study that suggests any problem associated with emissions of motor craft on any lake other than foul emissions from those who wish to make it a problem.
But I have a suggestion to Mr. Blue Wolf if he wants to show real leadership on this issue. Start by closing the marina at the Konocti Vista Casino to all those terrible “gas-powered craft” and make an example that all Native Americans can be proud of. And don”t stop there. Let”s work on the visual pollution problems we have and clean up the native housing there along Soda Bay also. I seriously doubt any of this will happen in the next five years. So start there or stop crying Wolf!
Armand Pauly
Kelseyville
