Bill Lattin, president of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), has informed its members that Roxanne Tea, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) outdoor recreation planner, has said there will be no racing organizations on the salt, “due to negative comments, letters, and other media.” The BLM has been criticized for its management of salt reclamation from mining, specifically how much salt should be returned to the Salt Flats after minerals have been extracted. The SCTA has kept records of the depth of the salt surface for more than 50 years showing there were times when the salt was more than 1-foot thick. There are now sections where the salt has completely receded and mud is visible. The racing surface has degraded significantly over the last decade, exacerbated by extended periods of rain that drain through the salt and into the ground below, causing muddy conditions unsuitable for racing.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert has gone so far as to say, “The Bonneville Salt Flats are not only severely damaged but are, in fact, approaching ruin.” More recently, the Utah House of Representatives passed a bill urging the BLM to make racing safe again.
The main issue has been mining company Intrepid Potash’s removal and replenishment of salt they pull minerals out of. Intrepid leases part of the Salt Flats from the BLM for its mining operations. Too little of the removed salt is returned, resulting in the thinning conditions. Bonneville’s underground aquifers are also showing declining salinity. The Bonneville Nationals has been canceled in 2014 and 2015, so racers were hoping that 2016 would see a return to racing.
It would seem that Roxanne Tea and the BLM are now under a more harsh spotlight than in previous years as conditions at the Salt Flats continue to deteriorate, and refusing the racers’ access appears to be in retaliation from pressure to do more to preserve the national monument. We have called Tea to get some clarification on the matter, but have yet to hear back. When HOT ROD gets more info, we will pass it along. Bill Lattin’s letter to the SCTA members can be seen below.
http://www.hotrod.com/news/1606-blm-threatens-no-racing-at-bonneville-due-negative-comments-according-to-scta/
