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      From: <Rpmccomas@aol.com> 
      To: <snakevalley@utah.gov> 
      CC: <pegmcentee@sltrib.com> 
      Date: Wednesday - September 30, 2009 5:01 PM 
      Subject: Re: Status of Snake Valley Aquifer 




      Dear Governor Herbert-----As referenced in today's Tribune OPINION (OUR  
      VIEW) Editorial page A14, we appreciate the opportunity to contact you for 
       
      considering a citizen's viewpoint about this irreplaceable hence 
      invaluable  
      resource of the Beehive State----Attached is a copy of our posture  about 
      Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA) proposed pipeline that we  
      registered 
      with the Tribune on August 26th---- While we respect your  pragmatic 
      approach and the Tribune's expressed support for you and the  legislature 
      to 
      establish an Aquifer Advisory Council to evaluate the pros and  cons of 
      the 
      current SNWA proposal as it affects the long term interests of  Utah, we 
      deem this 
      resource as a non-negotiable Utah asset for the following  reasons:

      * The negative physical impact of the pipeline proposal is  explicitly 
      outlined in the attachment.

      * Subject to further research as embodied with the Council's mission, they 
       
      and you will learn that a majority of  Nevada residents in bordering Elko, 
       
      White Pine, and Lincoln Counties (Goshute, Spring, and Lake Valleys), 
      which 
      geographically share the aquifer's reservoir are vociferous and steadfast  

      opponents of the SNWA proposal for the same reasons forwarded by Utah  
      folks----Las Vegas is somewhat reviled by this population and signs and  
      stickers that say "Will Rogers never met Harry Reid" are abundant  in 
      these areas, 
      especially in Ely.

      * Legal consequences suggested by our Department of Natural Resources 
      (DNR) 
      are suppositions, i..e. speculative which are effectively countermanded by 

      the  comprehensive and cogent article written by the President of Utah's  
      Physicians for a Healthy Environment  (Dr. Brian Moench) and published in  

      the Tribune's September 28th edition in the OPINION section (page A11).

      * There are disastrous precedents to the environmental health (and  
      economic) issues here, involving both humanity and biota that  were 
      unforeseen (or 
      ignored by relevant authorities) with the decimation of  Owens River 
      Valley 
      by Los Angeles in now the nation's most populous  state and the downwind 
      poisoning derived from programmed testing of lethal  chemical and nuclear 
      weaponry in the Great Basin.  

      * An outpouring of well-founded antipathy and outrage has originated from  

      an exemplary cross-section of Utah residents ranging from notable entities 

      of  environmentalists, media columnists, academia, county  administrators, 

      legal and medical  professionals, ranchers, farmers and small business 
      people 
      of the  Great Basin, National Wildlife overseers, and a myriad of 
      concerned  
      citizens as ourselves.

      * As previously mentioned, it is pragmatic to make a well considered  
      investigation and decision concerning a neighboring  state's aspirations 
      which 
      affect its purported economic well-being yet this  proposal is detrimental 
      to 
      Utah in any shape or context and is not the ultimate  or only solution to 
      accommodating uncontrolled proliferation of residential  and commercial 
      growth 
      in Las Vegas akin to malignant cancer besetting the  region.

      * Another viable solution is available to SNWA which is cited in the  
      attachment, i.e. import seawater from the Pacific Ocean via a pipeline to 
      a  
      desalinization facility in Clark County ala the improvising 
      Israelis-----Our  
      utilities are financially able to construct 1,000+ mile pipelines for  
      transporting oil or natural gas and there is no explicable  deterrent for 
      SNWA not 
      to fulfill their voracious thirst for  water by this method.

      In conclusion and notwithstanding the Council's input, we believe your  
      eventual polite repudiation of the SNWA proposition is warranted due to 
      the  
      foregoing reasons that permanently classify Utah's precious Great  Basin 
      gift 
      as off limits and thus non-negotiable for disturbing  its present physical 

      and ancient character.   

      Sincerely-----Gail and Robert McComas 
                       4511  South Gilead Way
                        Salt Lake City, UT 84124