Mike Baker, right , Environmental Science and Waste Technology (E) Division leader, receives a Green Zia Achievement Award from Gov. Gary Johnson at a ceremony Wednesday in La Cienega. Photo by Monica Wenzel, E Division
Laboratory receives seven Green Zia awards for pollution prevention
Seven organizations and projects from the Laboratory received Green Zia awards from the New Mexico Green Zia Environmental Excellence Program for their efforts in pollution prevention.
The Environmental Science and Waste Technology (E), Human Resources (HR) and Engineering, Science and Applications (ESA) divisions won Achievement Awards. Los Alamos' Business Operations (BUS) and Facilities and Waste Operations (FWO) divisions, Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT-15) and Aramark Corp., the Lab's food service provider, won Commitment Awards.
It is the second year in a row, E Division earned achievement-level recognition indicating the division has a prevention-based environmental management system in place.
Gov. Gary Johnson and State Environment Department Secretary Peter Maggiore recognized the seven Lab organizations Wednesday at a ceremony in La Cienega.
The Achievement Award recognizes organizations that have turned their pollution prevention programs into prevention-based environmental management systems and can demonstrate measurable results.
The Commitment Award is given to organizations that have made
strong commitments to pollution prevention and are establishing
basic, systematic pollution prevention programs.
The Green Zia Program is a voluntary program that helps New Mexico
businesses achieve environmental excellence by establishing pollution
prevention-based environmental management systems. It is sponsored
by the New Mexico Environment Department and administered by the
New Mexico Environmental Alliance, a partnership of state, local
and federal agencies, academia, private industry and environmental
advocacy groups.
"These organizations are doing great things to protect the environment, and the Green Zia Program provides the opportunity to recognize those great achievements," said Tom Starke, program manager for Los Alamos' Environmental Stewardship Office (E-ESO), which coordinates Green Zia activities at the Laboratory.
"Our ultimate goal is to make pollution prevention a cornerstone of all our business practices and to develop an environmentally conscious culture Labwide that takes us beyond mere compliance," he added.
More information about the Green Zia program is available at ftp://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/docs/Gr_Zia/2000Criteria_final.doc online.
Los Alamos' winning applications also are available at http://emeso.lanl.gov/eso_projects/green_zia/Applying/application.html online.
--John Bass
Editor's Note: The following is a personal testimonial from Michele DeCroix of Weapon Engineering (ESA-WE) about her experience with Habitat for Humanity of Española Valley and Los Alamos, an affiliated agency of the United Way of the Northern New Mexico/Los Alamos United Way. During the Laboratory's United Way campaign, the Daily Newsbulletin will periodically publish testimonials from Lab workers on their experiences working with a United Way-funded agency.
United Way in action
"I grew up in a rural community in the Midwest where many people in the community lived in sub-standard housing. I was fortunate because my parents were able to afford a simple home, and our extended family helped us make repairs. I see many of the same housing problems here in Española and Los Alamos that I saw back home.
"I got involved with Habitat for Humanity of Española Valley and Los Alamos almost two years ago while they were planning their last house build. Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in need to build new homes or renovate existing ones so that people can have decent, affordable housing.
"Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials to renovate and build Habitat houses. The partner families are required to perform "sweat equity" that can take a wide variety of forms, from calling volunteers to construction. The number of sweat equity hours varies depending on the nature of the support the family receives.
"I enjoy working with Habitat for Humanity because I believe in its mission of helping individuals and families help themselves. I began working on the building committee and now serve on Habitat's Board of Directors. My work with Habitat for Humanity makes it possible for me to give some other family a helping hand."
Habitat for Humanity of Española Valley and Los Alamos is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical housing organization.
The Laboratory's 2002 United Way campaign, "Imagine! Our Workforce United through Caring," continues through Nov. 16. Through Wednesday, the campaign has received about $274,000 in pledges and donations.
For more information, questions or comments on this year's campaign, write to unitedway@lanl.gov by electronic mail. Or go to the United Way Web sites at www.losalamos.com/unitedway/ or www.uwsfc.org online.
September weather watchwords: warm and
dry
A cold air mass from Canada that dropped into the United States helped chase away New Mexico's so-called monsoon season, contributing to warmer and drier than normal conditions in September in Los Alamos and White Rock.
The cold air mass settled over the central U.S. creating a ridge and keeping New Mexico clear and dry for much of the month, explained George Fenton, a meteorologist in Air Quality (ESH-17).
The mean maximum temperature in Los Alamos last month of 77 degrees Fahrenheit was 5 degrees greater than normal for the month, he said. The mean and mean minimum temperatures also were above normal, said Fenton.
Fenton said several temperature records were established in September in Los Alamos, including a high of 82 F on Sept. 27 and 28, and a low temperature of 34 F on Sept. 8.
Precipitation was dramatically below normal in September in Los Alamos, with .39 of an inch of rainfall recorded at the Technical Area 6 measuring station, only 19 percent of normal for the month, Fenton said.
A wind gust of 43 miles per hour was recorded Sept. 21 in Los Alamos.
It was much the same story in White Rock, where the mean maximum temperature of 82 F was 5 degrees above normal, said Fenton. The mean temperature also was about 2 degrees above normal, said Fenton. And like Los Alamos, several temperature records were established in White Rock in September, he added.
Four high temperature records were established on Sept. 20, 24, 27 and 28 in White Rock. Conversely, minimum temperatures of 38 F, 33 F and 38 F on Sept. 8, 9 and 10 established new record lows, said Fenton.
Only .22 inches of measurable precipitation was recorded at the Technical Area 54 measuring station in White Rock in September, which is 15 percent of normal recorded rainfall for the month.
Thunder was observed on eight days, mostly during the latter half of the month. "These dry thunderstorms were due to the dry air below the cloud evaporating precipitation before it could reach the ground," said Fenton.
--Steve Sandoval
Security and Safeguards issues bulletin number 18
Important information on suspicious packages
Because of the increased attention nationally to suspicious packages arriving in the mail, Safeguards and Security (S) Division recently issued security bulletin 18, which provides tips for handling such packages.
Generally speaking, Lab workers should be alert for suspicious package characteristics in interoffice and regular postal mail. Misspelled words, bulky, stiff packages or unusually heavy items as well as unexpected packages or letters should be treated with caution. Packages with no return address, restrictive markings such as "personal," excessive postage, lopsided or uneven packages or those with excessive tape or string and packages with oily stains, discolorations or crystallization on the packages outer wrapping, and packages with strange odors shouldn't be opened.
Security bulletin 18 provides additional guidance on handling suspicious packages.
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