Posted by MHK on June 29, 2001 at 10:05:57:
I've been working with Dick Long to attempt to get another ship sunk, but at this point I'm targeting Catalina Island.. Dick has been very free with information and assistance so I want to thank him in that regard. However, Dick has made it clear that he won't be doing the leg work again.. No problem I've told him I'm willing to do it..
To that end I've had some periphal correspondence with my Congressman, Honorable Henry Waxman http://www.house.gov/waxman/
Frankly, at this point, I'm at the lowest level of his priority list and have yet to have any direct exchanges with the Congressman and my sense is that the staff I'm dealing with percieves me as nothing more than a pain in the ass constituent that needs to be placated..
There is a lot of work involved and I could use a little help with respect to getting governmental assistance.. Many on this list maybe aware that the US Navy and the Rand corporation issued a non=pertisan study that discusses measures that can be taken to dispose of the roughly 400 ships that they Navy is REQUIRED to dispose of.. The study concluded that turning these ships into Reefs is the most efficient and effective way to dispose of them.. If they were to be scrapped it would cost 1.9 BILLION of our tax dollars.. Storage is costing $50 million of our tax dollars per year...
Based on the success of the Yukon I'd like to see one of these 400 sunk off Catalina Island.. I've laid some of the groundwork, but this ambitious undertaking will require the involvement of the entire dive community once we get a little more down the road.. And trust me, I'll be hounding everyone of you ;-)..
But at this point what I could use is a little help in getting Rep. Waxman's attention.. All I'm asking is that you drop him an e-mail discussing the issue.. I'd prefer not to provide a sample letter since I want it to come from your hearts, as interested diver's..
Should you need help getting a draft together e-mail me privately and I'll share some thoughts.. This project has a long way to go and it is entirely to premature to issue details, but I will keep everyone aprised as we go down the line..
Many lessons can be learned from the Yukon project and hopefully we'll be able to learn form Dick and avoid some of the delays that he faced..
Please e-mail Rep. Waxman and help me put some pressure, or at least raise his awareness level..
http://www.house.gov/waxman/
Thanks...