Politics

Secretary Moniz Announces Dr. Phil Sharp As 2015 Recipient Of Schlesinger Medal For Energy Security

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Dr. Phil Sharp
 
DOE News:
 
WASHINGTON ― U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz has announced Dr. Phil Sharp as the second recipient of the James R. Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security.
 
Dr. Sharp is president of Resources for the Future and a former U.S. Congressman from Indiana. Dr. Sharp will receive the medal at a ceremony at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Department of Energy headquarters (1000 Independence Ave. Washington, D.C. 20585).
 
“Phil Sharp has been a fixture in energy security and clean energy progress in every possible
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Udall, Heinrich, Luján Comment On LANS Contract

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U.S. CONGRESIONAL DELEGATION News:
 
“We have been informed of NNSA’s performance review of LANS and NNSA’s decision not to extend the LANS contract. Among the reasons cited by NNSA were a serious safety incident involving a worker and waste-handling mistakes that have had an expensive and severe impact on LANL, WIPP and DOE’s nuclear waste cleanup
 
“We have high expectations of the Department of Energy and its contractors that they will go above and beyond to ensure our communities are not endangered. DOE must hold all of its contractors accountable and be responsible stewards
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Republican Party Of Los Alamos County Holds Pre-primary Convention Jan 21

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GOP News:

The Republican Party of Los Alamos County (RPLA) will hold its pre-primary convention at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016 at the UNM-LA Jeannette Wallace Hall, Room 505. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. and doors close promptly at 7 p.m.

A Central Committee meeting will be at 7 p.m.  At 7:15 p.m., Ward Causes will be held to elect ward delegates to the County Pre-primary Nominating Convention.

At 7:30 p.m., the County Convention will convene to elect delegates to the PRNM Pre-primary Nominating Convention.

The purpose of the RPLA pre-primary convention is to elect delegates for Read More

Closing New Mexico’s Child Pornography & Exploitation Loophole: Representatives Pre-File Legislation

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STATE News:
 
SANTA FE ― Representatives Sarah Maestas Barnes, R-Bernalillo, Javier Martinez, D-Bernalillo and Randal Crowder, R-Curry have pre-filed legislation backed by Attorney General Hector Balderas to close New Mexico’s child pornography and exploitation loophole. 
 
The current law limits the ability of prosecutors to charge defendants who possess multiple images of children being raped, objectified, and exploited in multiple forms of media and online.
Currently, these child predators are only subject to prosecution of one count of child exploitation
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Gray Matters: Making Sense (Cents) Of WIPP Incident

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By LARRY JOHNSON
Los Alamos
 
Introduction:
 
There has been extensive media coverage of the February 2014 release of radioactive material at WIPP, which has resulted in the shutdown of the facility.
 
The purpose of this column is to examine the incident and point out that there has been a massive over-reaction to the release resulting in a tremendous waste of taxpayer’s money.
 
In more common terms it is “making a mountain out of a mole hill” and “much ado about nothing”. The incident should have resulted in a shutdown of the facility of no more than a week or two
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Luján Votes For Government Funding Bill With Key New Mexico Priorities

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U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján
 
CONGRESSIONAL News:
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement today after voting in support of the omnibus appropriations bill that funds the government through Fiscal Year 2016.
 
“This legislation is far from perfect, however it includes key priorities that I have been fighting for to strengthen New Mexico and prevent a government shutdown. The bill takes steps to undo part of the sequester cuts that hurt New Mexico’s economy, shut down Head Start centers, and have negatively
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Letter To The Editor: Free Money Is Killing New Mexico

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By PAUL J. GESSING, President
New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation

Nothing seems to unite New Mexicans like the desire for “free” money.

Over the past few weeks,  no fewer than three opinion pieces have run in various media outlets in support of Medicaid expansion. Two of these articles were from Democratic legislators.

While “compassion” and alleged health care improvements – unsupported by real-world data – were cited, a central argument involved “free” money that is flowing into the State from Washington. 

Recently, I had the chance to testify before an interim committee of the Read More

Udall, Heinrich, Luján Include Provision To Support Gold King Mine Monitoring In Year End Legislation

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Congressional News:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján announced that they included a provision in the end-of-year appropriations bill that encourages the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct long-term monitoring efforts following the Gold King Mine blowout.

The accident spilled toxic wastewater into the Animas and San Juan rivers in New Mexico and Colorado. The provision directs the EPA to coordinate with Read More

LANL Contract Goes Out For Bid After 2017

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LANL News:

In a memo to his employees Dec. 17, obtained by the Los Alamos Daily Post, Director Charles McMillan explains why Los Alamos National Security, LLC did not net another year of award term on its contract: 

To: LANL ALL

From: Charles F. McMillan
Date: December 17, 2015
 
Subject:  FY2015 NNSA Performance Review
 
Los Alamos National Laboratory has received its annual performance assessment from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for fiscal year 2015. The Laboratory’s specific ratings in the six performance objective categories are as follows:
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DOE: Largest Energy-Saving Standard In History

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DOE News:

  • Commercial Air Conditioner and Furnace Standards Will Save Businesses $167 Billion and Cut Carbon Emissions by 885 Million Metric Tons

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced historic new efficiency standards for commercial air conditioners and furnaces. Developed with industry, utilities, and environmental groups, these standards will save more energy than any other standard issued by the Department to date.

Over the lifetime of the products, businesses will save $167 billion on their utility bills and carbon pollution will be reduced by 885 million Read More