As “Oppenheimer” Opens, GAO Says LANL Nuclear Cleanup Needs Improvement

GAO: DOE needs to improve Los Alamos nuclear clean-up

As Oppenheimer opens in theaters this week showcasing the genesis of Los Alamos National Laboratory and nuclear weapons under the leadership of its first director, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Government Accountability Office released a report on another legacy: nuclear waste cleanup. That cleanup includes: soil and groundwater remediation; legacy waste removal; and deactivation and decommissioning of contaminated facilities. According to the report, while progress has been made, the Department of Energy “needs to address weaknesses” in its cleanup program and contract management. Specifically, GAO says DOE’s Office of Environmental Management has not “taken a comprehensive approach to prioritizing cleanup activities in a risk-informed manner.” Moreover, the report says costs of cleanup have more than doubled from from DOE’s originally estimation that it would complete cleanup by 2015 at a cost of $2.7 billion to a current calculation of completing cleanup by 2043 for approximately $7 billion. The report includes six recommendations, including the use of a third-party facilitator to improve relations between DOE and “build trust.” The Associated Press reports in a forum in Los Alamos yesterday, officials said Christopher Nolan’s film provides an opportunity to spotlight the legacy of cleanup—as does the new report. “We hope this report galvanizes DOE-EM to enact change in Los Alamos,” state Environment Department spokesman Matthew Maez said.

County announces updates on NE/SE Connector Road Project

A newly constructed roundabout to traffic on the Richards Avenue and Avenida del Sur intersection will open today, Santa Fe County says, and is the first of six roundabouts slated for the Northeast and Southeast Connectors Roads Project. According to a news release, “contractors will still be cleaning up the construction site and installing signage along the roadway.” The intersection will close once more in the coming months for a 24-hour period for the installation of solar street lighting, which was delayed, the county says, due to vendor supply chain issues. In addition, the Rancho Viejo trail connection located at the southwest quadrant of this intersection has also been completed and officially reopens to pedestrian and bicycle traffic today. However, additional closures are forthcoming. The county anticipates closing, starting in mid-August, portions of of Richards Avenue North of Dinosaur Trail and South of Beckner Road for the construction of the second round-about. Dinosaur Trail will not be closed. The county, in coordination with Santa Fe Public Schools, will issue a full detour at the start of the school year (Aug. 15). The contractor has 60 days to complete the new road segment, which is slated to reopen in October, 2023.

NM solar program ready for subscribers

The state Public Regulation Commission yesterday announced New Mexico’s Community Solar Program is now ready for subscribers. The community solar program allows customers of eligible utility companies who can’t or choose not to install solar panels on their properties to still access some of the advantages of renewable energy. Community solar customers/subscribers can now sign up/subscribe following the release this week of a subscriber information disclosure form, which allows those projects that were selected to develop community solar to start enrolling existing utility customers. The PRC and its Community Solar program administrator InClime Inc. announced those projects last May, and faced criticism from some firms about the process and outcome. The new form provides potential customers with key details about the program, projects, potential savings, cancellation terms and subscription size. More consumer protection resources about the program can be accessed here. Release of the disclosure form, PRC Commissioner James Ellison said, “is a significant step forward for community solar in our state. Signing up customers is the first step in community solar development, as this will enable developers to obtain financing and move forward with actually building the solar projects.”

SFCC announces new youth coding program

Youth throughout Santa Fe this fall will have new opportunities to learn how to code through an Apple Community Education Initiative grant received by Santa Fe Community College. The school will be working with Santa Fe Public Schools, Santa Fe Indian School, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Fe/Del Norte and STEM Santa Fe on the new initiative. “Santa Fe Community College is thrilled Apple is supporting our work to offer training in coding and other creative digital skills to young people who have had limited access to such opportunities in the past,” SFCC President Becky Rowley said in a statement. Apple’s Community Education Initiative launched in 2019 to, according to the company, “to bring coding, creativity and career opportunities to learners of all ages, and to communities that are traditionally underrepresented in technology.” An SFCC news release notes that the CEI initiative also “aligns with Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, which in part aims to expand opportunities for communities of color through education.” Santa Fe Indian School Superintendent Christie Abeyta said in a statement the schools’ students “who represent the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico and many other tribal nations are eager to acquire digital skills that will not only enrich their education but will also benefit their home communities and future workplaces. These initiatives will serve as a digital gateway between our school, Native American rural communities, and other local communities, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration for the betterment of all in this digital age.”

Listen up

Three of the five operas for the Santa Fe Opera’s 66th season have opened thus far (you can catch SFR’s reviews here), with Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka opening tomorrow night (July 22) and Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo opening next week on July 29. You can also catch free, live-recorded radio broadcasts of the entire season at 6 pm on Mondays starting July 31 and running through Aug. 28 on 95.5 KHFM Classical Public Radio or khfm.org. Soprano and KHFM host Kathlene Ritch will be joined by co-host, tenor and Santa Fe Opera Chief Artistic Officer David Lomelí for commentary available in English and Spanish. And for the first time, the broadcasts will be available for on-demand streaming the Santa Fe Opera website and khfm.org websites for 30 days following each air date.

Points of return

New Mexico’s Tourism Department has made the short list in Skift’s 2023 IDEA awards, “designed to recognize the impactful and inspiring projects from brands, agencies, and tech companies that solve traveler challenges, inspire change, and define the future of travel. According to Skift, it received hundreds of entries “from across the globe.” New Mexico’s tourism department landed on the shortlist in the “creative thinkers” group, specifically under marketing for its Living Legends campaign, which spotlights various people and places around the state, ranging from sculptor Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo) to Bosque del Apache. In other tourism news, The Points Guy includes Santa Fe in his roundup of the 12 best places to visit in August, writing that the city “blossoms into a cultural hub” next month, thanks to the Santa Fe Indian Market (Aug. 19-20) which will celebrate its 101st birthday. And Best Life includes Albuquerque on its list of the best cities for wine lovers. Brenna Moore, director of communications and public relations at Visit Albuquerque, says some of her favorite local wineries include Gruet Winery, Sheehan Winery, which offers a guided wine and bike tour, and Casa Rondeña Winery.

Everyone (seriously) loves New Mexico

New Mexico Magazine continues its 100th anniversary celebration by asking “writers, artists, ranchers, chefs, historians, archaeologists, balloon pilots, and everyday New Mexicans to count the ways” they love New Mexico. Some recent favorites include Navajo poet and University of New Mexico Professor Emerita of Creative Writing Luci Tapahonso’s achingly beautiful reflection on learning from her elders how to tell stories. Also don’t miss: UFO researcher Dennis Balthaser’s reflections on his lifelong work in Roswell investigating extraterrestrials; Stanley Crawford’s essay on acequias; and Carmella Padilla’s ode to chile (hard to believe, but chile season is just around the corner). Padilla doesn’t just praise our favorite state crop, she also delves into its cultural, historical and agricultural complexities: Like many things here, the making of chile belies a complex multicultural backstory. The story of chile and New Mexico, she writes, “straddles themes of nature, science, tradition, and time. It simmers in the stew of our uniquely New Mexican experience, a slow-cooked mix of history, heritage, and home.”

Wait for the thunder

The National Weather Service forecasts a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon today, some of which could be severe. Otherwise, it will be mostly sunny with a high temperature near 93 degrees and southeast wind 15 to 20 mph. A 30% chance for rain tomorrow with high temps dropping to the high 80s and a 20% chance on Sunday, with temperatures climbing back into the 90s and staying there as the week begins.

Thanks for reading! The Word is unlikely to see the Barbie movie…but did read this weird story that used AI to show what Barbie’s house would look like if redesigned by famous architects.