PUBLIC MEETING PLANNED TO DISCUSS SODA BAY BATH

The current status of the Soda Bay Bath at Clear Lake, and plans to close the area to public access, will be discussed when the Bureau of Land Management holds a public meeting Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 255 N. Forbes St.,  in Lakeport.

"We will share the most recent air quality test results that show carbon dioxide remaining at lethal levels in the bath, even after we tore down the cinder-block wall that enclosed the area," said Phil Damon, assistant manager at the BLM's Ukiah Field Office.  "This is a very serious threat to public safety, and we need to take action."

Safety issues surrounding the mineral bath arose in July, when a 31-year-old Napa man died of apparent asphyxiation while soaking in the bubbling pool.  Air quality tests revealed deadly levels of carbon dioxide.  BLM, which administers the public land on Soda Bay Island, worked with a community group in attempts to improve the air quality, including tearing out a cinder block wall that had been built to keep lake water out of the pool.

"We were disappointed to learn that carbon dioxide remained at lethal levels even after this work," Damon said.   "Because of the risk that someone else could die in the bath, we must  close it to public access.   We will continue to work with people to see if alternatives can be found to reopen the area if public safety can be assured."