Environment

LANL Employees Volunteer And Give Back This Summer

Volunteers at the nonprofit Khalsa Family Farms in Española. Photo by David Moore

LANL News:

The Laboratory’s employees stepped up in June and July, volunteering for special LANL sessions with a range of nonprofits in Santa Fe and Española.

Friday and Saturday June 24 and 25 saw 20 handy volunteers assemble on the south side of Santa Fe, helping with a Habitat for Humanity build for a young family. Some employees insulated and dry-walled a new shed on the property while others cut and installed drywall in the main house.

The high-efficiency house is designed to produce more energy from its solar Read More

Fort Union National Monument: Night Sky Program Aug. 27

Fort Union National Monument hosts a night sky program Aug. 27. Courtesy photo

NPS News:

WATROUS — Fort Union National Monument will be offering a night sky program Saturday night, Aug. 27 that will feature both telescope astronomy and a discussion about American Indian astronomy. 

The solitude, remoteness, and clear air of Fort Union National Monument make it an ideal place for observing a natural dark sky. We will be using both naked eyes and telescopes to appreciate different interpretations of the night sky.

Park gates will re-open at 7 p.m. for those who would like to enjoy a twilight picnic. Read More

Bilingual PIOs Now Assisting On Calf Canyon Fire In Mora

Map of the Calf Canyon Fire. Courtesy/SFNF

SFNF News:

Bilingual Public Information Officers (PIOs) with the Southwest Incident Management Team (SWIMT) began staging 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Friday at the Mora Volunteer Fire Department. 

They will be onsite to help community members fill out Suppression Repair Forms, verify that forms are complete and entered in the queue. Information for emergency help and services related to post-fire flooding.

If forecasted weather is calling for flash flooding which could cause impacts to roadways making it unsafe for travel, personnel will not be present. Read More

Summer Operations & More At Pajarito Mountain Ski Area

ULLR Fest begins Sept. 10 at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. Courtesy/Pajarito

From Pajarito Mountain Ski Area:

Can you feel it? The season is starting to shift — the smell of roasting green chiles is in the air!

Here’s what’s happening on the mountain in the upcoming weeks: 

  • The lifts will be closed Saturday, Aug. 20, for a NICA event, for the safety of the young riders. The lifts will run usual hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31.
  • The cafe will be open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the weekend and Wednesdays-Sundays. 
  • In addition to regular Saturday-Sunday hours, the lift will be open 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug.
Read More

Daily Postcard: Squirrel Snacks On Peach On Aster Street

Daily Postcard: A squirrel is spotted sitting on a rock and snacking on a peach in a yard Thursday on Aster Street in White Rock. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

The squirrel stops to listen as it thinks it hears something while snacking on a peach in a yard Thursday on Aster Street in White Rock. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More

Los Alamos County Council Upholds P&Z Approval For Worms And Wildflowers Daycare Special Use Permit

After deliberating in closed session for several hours Friday, Los Alamos County Council approved 6-1, with Council Vice Chair Denise Derkacs opposed, to ‘find that the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission was in accordance with adopted County plans, policies and ordinances and that the facts on which the decision was based are supported by the record and that the decision was not arbitrary, capricious, or a manifest abuse of discretion.’  Furthermore, the council affirmed the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission in Case No SUP-2022-0020 and Case SUP-2022-0021. The Read More

DOE/NNSA: Public Comments Invited On Notice Of Intent To Prepare New Los Alamos National Laboratory Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement

DOE/NNSA News:

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) published a Notice of Intent (NOI) today to prepare a new Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL SWEIS).

The new LANL SWEIS (DOE/EIS-0552) will be done in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The SWEIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts of the reasonable alternatives for continuing operations of the Laboratory for approximately the next 15 years.

The continued operation Read More

Drive Less Los Alamos: Walk, Bike, Ride, Carpool

Courtesy/LAC

COUNTY News:

Now that the Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) are back in session and construction is underway on Canyon Road, Los Alamos County officials suggest that commuters consider taking advantage of other options to get to and from work or school.

Carpooling, riding the Atomic City Transit, biking, or walking even just one day a week reduces the number of cars on the road during peak hours which can alleviate traffic congestion. Commuters who drive less save money, improve the environment and make new friends. Additionally, those who choose to bike or walk can expect better Read More

Devolder: Handling Of Mixed Waste In Los Alamos County

By MARK DEVOLDER
Los Alamos

This letter addresses the issue of “mixed” waste items which find their way to the Los Alamos Ecostation as a result of daily waste disposal by Los Alamos County residents and commercial businesses, Community Development-approved demolition / building construction activities, and Community Development-initiated Nuisance Code-related waste disposal.  

A fundamental problem with handling waste items is that people in Los Alamos County do not understand what comprises many commercial products. America has lost a great deal of manufacturing capability and Read More

Daily Postcard: Pink Pearl Gladiolus

Daily Postcard: Pink Pearl Gladiolus in almost full bloom Thursday at a residence in White Rock. The August birth flowers, gladiolus and poppy, both symbolize remembrance. Gladiolus is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family. It is sometimes called the ‘sword lily’ but is usually called by its generic name. The genus occurs in Asia, Mediterranean Europe, South Africa, and tropical Africa. The center of diversity is in the Cape Floristic Region. Source: Wikipedia Photo by Nancy Ann Hibbs

Pink Pearl Gladiolus in almost full bloom Thursday at a residence in White Rock. Read More

Energy Secretary Granholm Views Hanford Progress, Discusses Bright Future For Tribes, Community

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is briefed by Tom Fletcher, EM assistant manager of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford Site, in the control room of the Low-Activity Waste Facility on monitors that display the status of equipment and the facilities to technicians who manage the plant. Courtesy/EM

EM News:

RICHLAND, Wash. — During a visit to the Hanford Site last week, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm highlighted DOE’s commitment to addressing the environmental legacy near communities such as the Tri-Cities, Washington, that supported national defense programs Read More

Governor Signs Emergency Declaration For Rio Arriba County Due To Flooding

The Roundhouse in Santa Fe. Post file photo

STATE News:

  • Declaration provides funding and other resources to support flooding recovery efforts

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order today declaring a state of emergency in Rio Arriba County, making funding and state resources available for the affected county.

The declaration follows monsoon flooding that began earlier this summer and continues to affect public safety and critical infrastructure.

The executive order provides $750,000 for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to assist Read More

Bear Spotted Sitting In Pine Tree On San Ildefonso Road

A local resident was cutting weeds in his yard recently when an animal control officer approached him and told him to look up into a tree across the street where the pair spotted a small black bear sitting in a pine tree on San Ildefonso Road. Photo by Charles Kooshian

The bear hung out in the tree for about an hour before wandering off to parts unknown. Photo by Charles Kooshian Read More

U.S. Air Force Funds Los Alamos-Based UbiQD To Deploy Photovoltaic Window Technology On Military Bases

UbiQD Founder and CEO Hunter McDaniel demonstrates a quantum dot-tinted photovoltaic window recently at his Los Alamos Headquarters. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Six high-performance photovoltaic windows, each roughly four-feet by four-feet, with three distinct colors, are recently installed at the Western Washington University Art Gallery on campus in Bellingham, Wash. Courtesy/UbiQD

UBIQD News:

  • Air Force contract will accelerate deployment of quantum dot solar window technology after recent successful demonstration projects, highlighting dual use capabilities
Read More

Luján Tours Southern New Mexico, Reviews Areas Impacted By Wildfires, Meets With Local Officials In Lincoln County, Tours Holloman Air Force Base

Sen. Ben Ray Luján Speaks with Local Leaders, Surveys Fire Damage. Courtesy photo

Sen. Ben Ray Luján touring damage caused by the McBride Fire in Lincoln County. Courtesy photo

U.S. SENTATE News:

RUIDOSO — Monday, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) visited Ruidoso in Lincoln County to review damage caused by the McBride Fire and the steps taken in the aftermath to address flooding concerns.

Following the tour, Luján met with local officials about related responses, including Ruidoso’s efforts to secure long-term housing for local workers displaced by the loss of residences.

Following their Read More

Rotary: Bob Loy Discusses Hummingbirds Of Bandelier

Bob Loy, certified hummingbird bander, speaks about the hummingbirds of Bandelier during a meeting of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos at Cottonwood of the Greens. Photo by Linda Hull

By LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos 

Sporting a tee shirt with an image of a swordbill hummingbird, native to the Andes Mountains of South America, Bob Loy, only one of two certified hummingbird banders in New Mexico, presented The Hummingbirds of Bandelier to members of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos in late May, just as the seasonal migration of hummingbirds began in our part of the world.

With an informative Read More

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