Gov. candidate asks agency to halt ore dumping

    Businessman and gubernatorial candidate Allen Weh has asked U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to pursue energy reforms that would allow the uranium-mining industry to thrive in New Mexico. The uranium industry is positioned to provide thousands of new jobs, but recent actions by the Department of Energy could jeopardize this.  The Department of Energy is scheduled to dump government reserves of uranium into the market in 2010, which is expected to drive down costs and hurt uranium producers and their ability to employ American workers.  Last week, Weh sent a letter to Secretary Chu urging him to rethink the decision before states like New Mexico are adversely affected.      "Our state has potential to be a powerhouse in uranium mining and, with it, put thousands of New Mexicans to work," Weh said. "I've told Secretary Chu that I support the uranium industry in my state, because I am committed to putting New Mexicans to work and growing our economy. With an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent and climbing, time is of the essence. Our state simply cannot afford to lose job opportunities in growing industries."  In Weh's letter to Secretary Chu, he asked the administration reconsider its decision to transfer up to $450 million worth of excess government uranium to the United States Enrichment Corporation. He said flooding the market with uranium reserves will impede New Mexico's efforts at reviving the uranium-mining industry and creating jobs.  According to a 2008 study by the Arrowhead Center based out of New Mexico State University, the uranium-mining industry has potential to create 8,300 direct, indirect, and induced jobs per year in New Mexico with an annual economic impact of $856 million.  Weh said he is now waiting on a reply from the Secretary of Energy.



Residents smoking less

    The state Department of Health announced that the adult smoking rate for New Mexico has dropped to 19.3 percent, making it the lowest rate of adult smokers since 2001 when the rate was 23.8 percent of the adult population. According to a recent department survey, in 2001 there were an estimated 352,600 smokers and this year there are 66,600 fewer smokers.

    “It's a tremendous accomplishment for anyone to quit smoking, and this significant drop in the number of New Mexicans who smoke means that more people will have the chance to live longer and healthier lives,” said Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil, MD. “Quitting smoking can have a very positive impact on a person's overall health. I encourage anyone who is interested in quitting to use all the resources at their disposal to help with their success.”

    The department provides help to anyone who wants to quit tobacco through 1-800-QUIT NOW, New Mexico's free tobacco help line. The telephone-based cessation service provides nicotine patches or gum, as appropriate, to registered participants along with a free quit plan and free sessions with a trained coach. Help line services are accessible from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Native health to benefit from proposal

    Major legislation has been introduced to improve health care for 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives across the country - the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization and Extension Act of 2009. U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, joined 15 senators in introducing the proposal.

    The federal government has treaty obligations to provide health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives, but Udall noted Indian health care programs haven't been updated in more than ten years and have been chronically underfunded for decades.

    The bill includes measures to expand a program that has proven successful for the Zuni Tribe which connects schools and parents with the community, teaches students to be peer educators, and helps middle and high school students learn life skills to prevent suicide. New Mexico, which has the fifth highest Native American population in the country, also has the seventh highest rate of suicide for youth ages 10 through 24 years old.

 

Food drive underway

    The 13th Judicial District Attorney is kicking off the third annual Food Drive, to run from Oct. 28 through Nov. 10.

    Donations of non-perishable food item will be collected benefiting local shelters within the district. Boxes will be located in front of the Cibola County District Attorney's Office, 515 W. High Street and other district attorney locations.

    For more information call Sharon Valdez at 287-1297.

 

Labs to pursue solar energy

    U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall announced that Los Alamos National Laboratory will receive more than $2 million from the Department of Energy to support the development of new solar energy technologies and the rapid development of available carbon-free solar energy systems.

    The funding is part of up to $87 million that will be made available by DOE to support solar energy development - $50 million of which will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects will help speed adoption of solar energy nationwide, while supporting development of a skilled workforce, and continuing to pursue new scientific breakthroughs to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of solar technologies.

The LANL projects are:

• $1.04 million for assessment of silicon nanowire architecture for photovoltaic electricity (PV) application

• $966,957 for hybrid organic silicone HTF utilizing endothermic reactions for latent heat storage

The two projects are among 15 undertaken by DOE labs nationwide to improve technologies, devices and processes for both the PV and Concentrating Solar Power industries.  PV projects focus on development of next generation devices and processes, as well as supply chain technologies for the entire PV system.