Environment - Los Alamos Daily Post

Los Alamos Kiwanians Clean Up Entrance Park

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on May 1, 2016

The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos clean up crew picked up trash Saturday at Entrance Park as part of Saturday’s community-wide ‘Clean Up Los Alamos Day’. Crew members, from left, Steve Boerigter, Jack Gehre, Robert Cunningham, Kathy Hirons, Linda Daly, Morrie Pongratz, Pat Soran and Chuck Koosian. Photo by Don Casperson

New Mexico Environment Department Solicits Comments From Citizens In Los Alamos Thursday

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 29, 2016

New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ryan Flynn speaks to citizens on the revisions to the Compliance Order on Consent Order which governs hazardous waste cleanup by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

Members of the public and NMED staff listen to Katherine Roberts, director of the Division of Resource Protection at NMED, as she gives an overview of the changes to the Compliance Order on Consent Order which governs hazardous waste cleanup by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

TALES OF OUR TIMES: Who Picks Up Trash In Space?

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 29, 2016

Tales of Our Times
By JOHN BARTLIT
New Mexico Citizens
for Clean Air & Water

Who Picks Up Trash In Space?

“Space trash” and “space junk” are terms for the man-made litter that is floating in space or otherwise stuck there. Much of it orbits Earth. We know the problem is real when we hear about the Orbital Debris Program Office of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

What all is whizzing around out there? By NASA’s accounting, the mess of it would fill a few junkyards if it were dumped in one place. Some 20 tons of stuff are stuck

Report: Proposed BLM Methane Waste Rule Will Increase Production, Revenue In San Juan Basin

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 29, 2016

Courtesy/EDF

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND News:

A new study by the Conservation Economics Institute has found that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed methane waste rule will have a net positive impact on oil and gas production and revenue in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin.

An analysis of more than 8,700 low-producing natural gas wells in two counties in the San Juan Basin, San Juan and Rio Arriba, determined that BLM’s rule will have little to no negative impact on these marginal wells. The results of the study indicate that the new rule—which aims to reduce waste from venting, Read More

National Park Tourism In New Mexico Creates $118.8 Million In Economic Benefit

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 29, 2016

NPS News:

DENVER — A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that the 1,714,675 visitors to national parks in New Mexico in 2015 spent $97.5 million in the state.

That spending supported 1,528 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $118.8 million. It also represents a 9.8 percent increase in spending and a 7 percent rise in visitation over 2014.

“From Chaco Culture National Historical Park to White Sands National Monument, the national parks of New Mexico draw more than 1.7 million visitors a year from home and abroad,” said Sue Masica, director of the

Los Alamos Certified As Wildlife Habitat Community

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 29, 2016

Community Wildlife Habitat presentation Saturday at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Luisa Grant, senior coordinator of community programs for the National Wildlife Federation and County Councilor Pete Sheehey at Saturday’s ceremony. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By CAROL A. CLARK

Los Alamos Daily Post

Luisa Grant, senior coordinator of community programs for the National Wildlife Federation traveled to Los Alamos from Reston, VA to officially present the Community Wildlife Habitat certification to Los

NMED Hosts Open House On LANL Consent Order In Council Chambers 5-7 p.m. Today

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 28, 2016

NMED News:

NMED Proposes Changes to Consent Order, which Governs Legacy Clean-Up at LANL

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Environment Department’s Hazardous Waste Bureau will host an Open House in Los Alamos to present an overview of their proposed changes to the Draft Consent Order governing legacy clean-up at Los Alamos National Laboratory and to hear citizen and stakeholder input, address concerns, and answer questions.

The Open House is 5-7 p.m., today in the Los Alamos County Council Chambers at 1000 Central Ave.

On March 1, 2005, NMED and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Regents of the Read More

Los Alamos Master Gardeners Prepare For June Fair

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 28, 2016

Los Alamos Master Gardeners are working on the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden to have it ready for its June 11 Garden Fair. The workers are preparing an area for a new penstemon garden and an extended butterfly garden. Gardeners from left, Shari Foley, Denise George, Pallas Papin, Pam Rogers, Kimberli Tanner and Carlos Valdez. Courtesy photo Read More

New Awards For Advanced Nuclear Energy Development

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 28, 2016

DOE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Building on the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Department of Energy has awarded more than $5 million to undergraduate and graduate students in pursuit of nuclear engineering degrees and other nuclear science and engineering programs relevant to nuclear energy.

The awards include 57 undergraduate scholarships and 33 graduate-level fellowships for students at American colleges and universities.

“Nuclear energy currently makes up 60 percent of the United States’ non-carbon emitting energy portfolio,” Energy

Udall Welcomes Signing Of Historic International Agreement To Fight Climate Change

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 28, 2016

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations committees, released the following statement on the signing of a historic agreement reached by the United States and almost 200 other countries to fight climbing temperatures and rising sea levels by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Udall was among a group of 10 senators who attended the United Nations climate talks in Paris last December, where international negotiators reached the deal. Ahead of today’s signing,

NNSA Conducts Fifth Experiment Aimed To Improve U.S. Ability To Detect Foreign Nuclear Explosions

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 27, 2016

NASA News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On April 26, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) conducted the fifth experimental conventional explosion as part of its Source Physics Experiment (SPE) series. The SPE series, conducted at the Nevada National Security Site, improves the United States’ capability to detect and characterize underground nuclear explosions.

By conducting the experiments near the location of previous underground nuclear tests, researchers are able to better compare data from conventional and nuclear explosions. This helps to Read More

More Scenes From Saturday’s Earth Day Festival

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 27, 2016

Scene from the annual Earth Day Festival hosted by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center Saturday at the Los Alamos Nature Center on Canyon Road. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Scene from PEEC’s annual Earth Day Festival Saturday at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Scene from PEEC’s annual Earth Day Festival Saturday at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More

Community Celebrates Earth Day At Nature Center

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 27, 2016

Hundreds of people turned out for the annual Earth Day Festival hosted by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center Saturday at the Los Alamos Nature Center on Canyon Road. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Scene from Saturday’s Earth Day Festival. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Scene from Saturday’s Read More

Nature Center Presents ‘We Are Stars’ To Show Friday

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 27, 2016

PEEC News:

From the makers of We are Astronomers, comes an exciting film that explores the secrets of our cosmic chemistry and our explosive origins.

Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s (PEEC’s) new planetarium film, We are Stars, connects life on earth to the evolution of the universe by investigating the chemistry of stars. This family-friendly film will premiere at 7 p.m., Friday, April 29 in the Los Alamos Nature Center planetarium, Astrophysicist Dr. Richard Wallace will give a talk and be available

EPA Must Act Now To Protect Public From Teflon Chemical In Drinking Water

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 27, 2016

EPA News:

By BILL WALKER

Investigations Editor

The Environmental Protection Agency was first alerted 15 years ago to contamination of drinking water by PFOA, a chemical used to make Teflon that has since been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, heart disease and other serious health problems. Since then, PFOA pollution has grown from a regional problem to a national crisis.

Yet EPA still has not set a legal limit for the compound in drinking water, even in the face of repeated appeals from state officials and representatives of the public interest community.

Today

Stolen Passport To Pajarito Plateau Post Found

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 27, 2016

The wooden post in Acid Canyon for PEEC’s Passport to the Pajarito Plateau program has been found. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

The wooden post in Acid Canyon for PEEC’s Passport to the Pajarito Plateau program stolen over the weekend has been found, according to a PEEC spokesperson. The lost post was found this morning. Early this afternoon, it was reinstalled on the Acid Canyon Loop trail.

Since first discovering the missing post, Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) found another vandalized post on Bridges Loop trail. The post was dumped about 50 feet from its Read More

Fuller Lodge Art Center Takes Over Nature Center Tonight

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 26, 2016

Bean and seed bottles are a fun and artistic way to learn about the Earth’s crust. Courtesy photo

PEEC News:

Full Lodge Art Center will spill the beans from 6-7:30 p.m., Tonight, April 26 at the Los Alamos Nature Center.

Tonight is community night, a free, family friendly event with hands-on activities. Tonight, the art center would like help creating a permanent nature mural using seeds and beans. Participants will learn about the Earth’s crust by creating their own bean bottles.

This artistic evening will take place at the Los Alamos

Scenes From Sunday Drive Through Gilman Tunnels

Submitted by Chris Clark on April 26, 2016

Scenes from a drive through Gilman Tunnels Sunday afternoon. Photo by Robert Beberniss

Scenes from a drive through Gilman Tunnels Sunday afternoon. Photo by Robert Beberniss

Scenes from a drive through Gilman Tunnels Sunday afternoon. Photo by Robert Beberniss

Scenes from a drive through Gilman Tunnels Sunday afternoon. Photo by Robert Beberniss

Space Fence: Advancing Way To ID And Track Junk

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 26, 2016

The geographic separation and the higher wave frequency of the new Space Fence radars will allow for the detection of much smaller microsatellites and debris than current systems. Courtesy/Lockheed

HSNW News:

General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies earlier this month completed the construction and walk-through of the 7,000 square-foot radar receive array structure which is part of the U.S. Air Force Space Fence radar system.

With the array structure complete, the General Dynamics Space Fence team will dismantle the 700,000-pound steel structure and ship it to Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Read More

Tips For Pruning Weather Damaged Trees

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on April 25, 2016

By CARLOS VALDEZ

Los Alamos Extension Horticulturist

For moderate pruning repair jobs of weather damaged trees close to ground level, homeowners should follow these guidelines:

Smaller branches should be pruned back to the point where they join larger ones. Make the cut at a slant next to a bud that can produce new growth. Do not leave branch stubs as they encourage rot and decay.
Large branches that are broken should be cut back to either the trunk or main limb. Do not cut the branch flush with the trunk. Instead, cut outside the branch collar at the base of the branch.
Take all necessary safety

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